Laundry Duties
by slytherin-nette
Summary: Eren is far from pleased when the Special Ops Squad is assigned laundry duties, especially since Corporal Levi has already made her chore list longer than her other squad mates. But when he drops by one morning and shoves his entire laundry basket into her face, Eren begins to suspect that she's being unfairly singled out – and she's determined to find out why. Levi/FemEren.
1. I Hate Cleaning!

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here. Cover image of this story is also not mine. Please refer to my profile page for the source.

**Summary:** Eren is far from pleased when the Special Ops Squad is assigned laundry duties, especially since Corporal Levi has already made her chore list longer than her other squad mates. But when the Corporal drops by one morning and shoves his entire laundry basket into her face, Eren begins to suspect that the she's being unfairly singled out – and she's determined to find out why.

**Warnings:** **Semi Canon** (starts after Eren gets taken in to the Survey Corps). **FemEren**, **FemArmin**, lots of **Swearing**. **Mature Content **later on, though nothing graphic. The biggest warning I feel I should make clear is that this story has **Underage Relationships**, so if that offends you, then feel free to hit the back button right now. Come on, you wouldn't be here if you didn't know the characters of this fandom perfectly well so you should know what to expect. You have been warned.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes:** Though I'd consider myself a pretty seasoned HP fanfic writer by now, this would be my first time stepping out of my comfort zone and trying out an SNK story so please be gentle with me, especially if the characters seem a little off or if I get some of the canon details are wrong. Ehehehe. Comments and feedback are more than welcome!

* * *

**Chapter 1 – I Hate Cleaning!**

****Eren****

Sometimes, it really sucked being the newest recruit of the Special Operations Squad.

It wasn't just because I was the youngest in the squad either (_**Honestly, they still treat me like a kid even though I'm already turning sixteen in two weeks!**__)_, though I think that may have added somewhat to the fact that my chore list was definitely a _lot _longer than my other squad mates. I could probably forgive Eld for getting away with not having a lot of chores (_**in other words, being a lazy ass bastard**_) since he was Second-in-Command and that, save for the Corporal, he was probably the most veteran and most experienced among all of us in the squad anyway so I couldn't really compare myself to him. Still, any idiot could see that while Auruo and Gunther did nothing but laugh their asses off by making stupid dirty jokes all day, I was usually stuck with all of the castle's maintenance cleaning.

At first I had thought that the reason the Corporal had stuck me with the most cleaning duties was because I was a girl, but that didn't seem to be the case either since I saw how Petra got off pretty easy with her chores too. And once the others were finished with all their chores and went off to practice their maneuvering, I was still scrubbing furiously away at some other dirty part of the castle.

One of the more regular chores I had been assigned to do every morning was to clean, sweep, and tidy up Commander Erwin's office, and while this task in itself was pretty easy (_**seeing as the Commander was almost as much of a clean-freak as the Corporal was**_), it was proving to be a _particularly _difficult task that morning - probably due to the fact that the Commander _and _the Corporal were both still inside the damn office while I was trying to clean it.

"And what the hell makes you so sure than Hanji can get results from those tests?"

"Hanji is brilliant – one of the best. I'm sure she'll be able to figure it out."

"Tch. What a fucking waste of time."

Obviously, they were discussing something that was probably ultra-super-top-secret-not-meant-for-stupid-and-ignorant-15-year-old-teenagers (_**not that this was anything new)**_. Meanwhile, I was minding my own business, scrubbing the floors and trying my best to look as though I wasn't listening in to their conversation (_**but fucking hell, I really was, they were talking about titan biology for fuck's sake**_). After about fifteen minutes, in the middle of the Commander's incredibly long discussion, I was trying to wipe off another blasted footprint stain underneath the Corporal's chair (_**I suspected that the footprints were coming from Major Hanji – she was the only one who walked around the place with mud-caked boots anyway**_) when I noticed that the Corporal's impassive gaze had flicked to my face. Strangely enough, I could have sworn that there was a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

For all my shock at the realization that the man had actually managed to do something with his perpetually blank _face _(_**I mean, who would have thought that he actually had the capacity to do that?**_), the Corporal didn't give me any further chance to react because by then, he was lazily gesturing me towards another large, grimy footprint just a few feet away from where I was crouched on the floor.

"You missed a spot, Yeager."

It took me fifteen seconds to process what he had said but as soon as I realized that the smirk on the Corporal's face was, in fact, real and that I hadn't imagined it all, I felt an overwhelming urge to toss the dirt-grimed rag in my hand at him, hopefully making him scurry away from me in bloody terror.

I didn't though, because for one thing, I wasn't suicidal.

I knew that aside from the fact that he was a grumpy, obsessive clean-freak old man (_**who was terrified of germs and probably rubbed alcohol onto his hands every fifteen seconds**_), he was also Corporal Levi, Humanity's Strongest Soldier and the only person I know who could easily take down a whole shitload of titans (_**and when I say shitload, I mean shitload! Seriously, that guy made Mikasa look like a fucking amateur!**_) without breaking a sweat (_**which was fortunate for him, I'd imagine Corporal Levi would be the type of person who'd freak out at the mere thought of sweat on his skin**_) so it would probably not be wise to upset him. Especially since he was not only my Commanding Officer but also my childhood hero.

Well, _former _childhood hero at least.

The naïve admiration I used to have for him back when I was younger kind of died down after he beat the living crap out of me in front of the entire legion during that tribunal. Though I understood at the time that he knew what he was doing and that he and the Commander had worked that whole thing out so that they could recruit me into the Survey Corps, I still hadn't forgotten about the whole incident. Especially since I actually lost a fucking tooth! Good thing it grew back, that wouldn't have been very attractive at all. Thank god for titan healing powers. Otherwise, I don't think I could ever live down Jean and Reiner's merciless teasing (_**I cringe at the potential name calling – Bucktoothed Titan!**__)._

When I realized that Corporal Levi was still staring blankly at me and that even Commander Erwin had stopped his discussion and was watching me with a curious expression – probably due to the fact that I had just zoned out for no apparent reason – I felt my cheeks redden with embarrassment.

"Yes, Heichou!" I squeaked out before hastily moving to the offending footprint.

As soon as I set to work on scrubbing the damn thing again, without much luck, and pouring another handful of soap over it to work the grime right off, I heard Corporal Levi and Commander Erwin talking again before both officers rose from their seats and began heading towards the room exits. Just as they passed me, however, and the Commander was already out the door, the Corporal paused mid-stride and turned to watch me, making me extremely uncomfortable with his blank, hooded gray eyes.

Finally, after a tense moment with nothing but the sounds of my scrubbing the floor, he spoke.

"Yeager."

I stiffened at the briskness of his voice.

"After you've finished up in here, proceed to my office and sweep and clean in there as well. while you're at it–" He added as an afterthought, ignoring the stunned dismay on my face. "–do the same for my quarters. It's adjacent to my office. Consider this added to your chore list from now on."

"B–but…Heichou." I tried to stammer out, using one of my forearms to wipe the beads of sweat that had accumulated near my temple in my exasperation. His expression curled into a cringe of disgust at the action. "After I finish up in here, I'm to join the rest of the squad for kitchen duties. I can't just–"

"You can join the rest of the squad for morning chores after you're done."

"But Sir!" I whined out again, accidentally dropping the rag I held to the floor. "Heichou, I'm already _waaay _past the required chore count, it isn't fair! Why can't Auruo do it or maybe even Petra or Gunther?! They don't have as many chores as I do! I absolutely hate cleaning!" I complained loudly.

"Are you refusing a direct order from your Commanding Officer, Yeager?" He growled harshly.

"B–but–" Another whine slipped out before I could help myself.

"I don't even think there's anything for me to clean at all in your office, Sir!"

"Excuse me?!"

I immediately backtracked when I thought I saw a vein throbbing in his head.

"I don't think I can handle any more chores, Heichou!"

"Would you rather handle my foot stamping down on your face?" He taunted snidely.

"Like I said, Sir." At the sneer on his face, I forced out a painfully nervous laugh and backed away from him. "After I finish up in here, I'll get started on your room right away." I gave him a shaky smile.

"Then get the hell out of my sight!" He snapped out, his impassive glare settling on me once and making me break out into a cold sweat as I thought about how he had that exact same glare on me the day he beat the living crap out of my ass. On second thought, maybe I ought to do what he says after all.

I fucking hate cleaning.

* * *

****Levi****

"Shitty little brat." I muttered irritably under my breath, watching with hooded eyes as Eren flashed me another nervous smile before she scampered away to the other side of the room. I didn't bother glancing back at her again over my shoulder before I reached for the doors and let myself out.

As I closed the door shut tightly behind me, I heard a loud distinctive thump, followed by Eren's sullen grumbles – no doubt about me having assigned her with yet another daily item on her to-do chore list when the others barely had anything else to do with their time. To my amusement, Eren had been exasperated enough to point that out. Since I was the one who personally wrote out my squad's chore list each month, no one was actually more aware of this little injustice than me. In fact, I was the one who assigned and rotated the chores for each and every squad of the Survey Corps and I was more than _perfectly _aware of exactly how much I was making that little green-eyed titan-shifter brat miserable.

Truth be told, I hadn't intended to be so harsh at first, my intention merely to just stick Eren with enough chores so that she was mostly out of sight of the other soldiers and they had no opportunities to harass her for being able to shift into a rampaging titan. As her cleaning responsibilities grew, however, and I began to see her more and more around the castle – her long chocolate locks tied loosely into an messy little bun on the top of her head and the bottom half of her face covered by that large white handkerchief (_**to protect her from dust bunnies, no doubt. Good girl.**_), holding two dusters in her hands in place of swords, I smirked and before I realized it, I began to assign her even _more _chores.

I couldn't help myself.

The damn brat just looked too _adorable._

The way she'd kept toppling over one of the stools during her first few nights while we were cleaning the castle or the way she'd wrinkle her nose furiously, trying as hard as she could not to sneeze as she was dusting the corners of some of the officers' rooms. I _especially _liked it when she was down on her hands and knees – on _all _fours – scrubbing the floor so hard that you'd almost think she was trying to dig a hole in the ground. She would have that intense, deeply concentrated look on her youthful face and she'd wedge her bottom lip between her teeth in exertion, unaware of the view she was portraying to a bunch of sexually frustrated military men. Truth be told, the sight was enough to garner more than few glances and to my annoyance, I had caught Auruo, Gunther, Mike and (_**even Erwin on some rare occasions, that perverted blonde bastard**_) stealing glances at her whenever she was scrubbing the floor.

It annoyed the _fuck _out of me but I wasn't sure why.

A part of me wanted to attribute it to the fact that, following that blasted tribunal, I was now Eren Yeager's Commanding Officer (_**slash legal guardian slash parent slash whatever**_) and that I now had a responsibility to make sure that no harm (_**whether titan, military spies, or even perverted old men from the Survey Corp**_) came to the brat. Ergo, I had to be all parental with her and shit so that would mean the annoyance I felt from other men staring at her like a bunch of perverts was because I was assuming the fucking responsibility of protecting her like a father would protect his own daughter.

The irony of it all - that I am now trying to protect the very brat I myself had reduced to a bloody, battered mess just a couple of weeks ago – was not lost on me and each time I thought about how ridiculous this whole thing was, I wanted to laugh. I had beat up the girl so much I was almost certain she was going to die before Erwin and I even got the chance to recruit her into the damn Survey Corps in the first place. Either that, or she'd blow up into that titan of hers and I'd be burdened with the even _more _troublesome task of having to subdue her – if not _kill _her – in front of the entire fucking Military.

And as skilled as I was with killing titans (_**Humanity's Strongest Soldier, fuckers**__)_, having to slice up a 15-meter female titan in front of the entire legion was not exactly a cup of fucking raspberry tea.

Thankfully enough, she _didn't _transform, even when I had beaten her to the point of her not being able to recognize her own pretty face anymore (_**Yes, any idiot could see that the brat had a pretty face on her**_). Much later that night, when I had come down to the dungeon where she was being kept and I asked her impassively if she resented me for what I had done, she had looked up at me with those big, annoyingly child-like green eyes of hers (_**those eyes could seduce a fucking saint)**_ and quietly told me that she understood why I did what had to be done and that no, she did not resent me at all.

Then she told me she admired me.

The stupid little shit had said she _admired _me – that I was her fucking childhood _hero _and that I was the very reason she wanted to join the Survey Corps in the first place. Then she promised that she'd do everything and _anything _in her power to help humanity with whatever skill it was she had – if you could call transforming into a _fucking _15-meter titan a goddamn skill – but hey, at least the kid had guts.

And I liked that.

I _liked _that she seemed to have this unbreakable spirit in her that was completely unaffected by the fact that the bastard who had beat her up publicly was now going to be her commanding officer.

I liked that despite her obvious youth and naiveté, I saw such a _fierce _will and determination in her fiery expression that for a moment, I forgot myself and I almost reached down to ruffle her hair.

As always, Erwin had been right again (_**that cocky bastard)**_.

Eren Yeager would join the Special Operations Squad.

I knew right then and there that she was a spitfire of a soldier and I finally understood why she had finished her military training as 5th in her class despite only having above average fighting skills.

She was the exact opposite of me – she fought because she _wanted _to fight.

I fought because I had no _choice._

So now, here I was – protecting a goddamn baby titan from a bunch of military perverts.

I let out a snort of resentment at myself, my face blank as I began making my way down the kitchens to where the rest of my squad was already set up. Petra, Auruo and Gunther were already seated in a line along one of the tables, busying themselves with chopping up the vegetables that Hanji's squad had picked up that morning from the market, while Eld was by the stove, watching over the fire.

Forcing all thoughts of the willful brunette 15-year-old from my mind, I took the seat across Petra on the table just as Auruo looked up from his chopping and greeted me with his usual leering grin.

"Heichou." He nodded before turning back to his stack of vegetables. "Where's the titan brat? Don't tell me she's slacking off on her chores already, she's barely been here a month." He pointed out.

"I gave her a new set of chores." I answered calmly, managing a lazy incline of my head at Petra when she had stood up from her seat and offered to prepare for me my usual pot of boiling hot tea.

"Does that mean she's excused from helping _us _with our morning chores, Heichou?" Gunther pointed out with a slight frown, meeting Auruo's equally confused expression for a few minutes.

"Of course not." I drawled again, glancing lazily at them with heavy lidded eyes. "She'll join the rest of you after she's done." I told them just as Petra had come back, setting the teapot in front of me.

Auruo and Gunther guffawed at this, pointing out how amusing it was that I was purposely giving our newest recruit a hard time on purpose – and for a moment, I considered that realization.

Maybe I _was_ being a little too hard on the little brat.

But then again.

I thought back on her whining at me a while ago about hating _cleaning_ and my eyes narrowed.

Maybe not.

* * *

**Notes:** I am having _too_ much fun writing this that it couldn't possibly be legal. Hahaha. FYI - this won't really be a long or serious story; it'll mostly be a short lighthearted piece that's meant to cure me of my SNK fever more than anything else.

"_Heichou" – Lance Corporal_

I just like having Eren call Levi "Heichou" like in the Jap-dubbed anime than "Corporal". I think it's cuter.

So who wants more? :D


	2. The Importance of Showers & Clean Floors

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here. Cover image of this story is also not mine. Please refer to my profile page for the source.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes:** For someone who's so obsessed with cleanliness, Levi-Heichou sure has such a dirty mouth. :D

* * *

**Chapter 2 – The Importance of Showers and Clean Floors**

****Eren****

By the time I was done cleaning the Corporal's office (_**there wouldn't have actually been much to clean but he'd insisted that I disinfect everything with alcohol and that took forever**_), it was nearly lunchtime and I barely made it to the kitchen so I could help the rest of the squad with the cooking. Unfortunately, as there wasn't even any time for me to squeeze in a shower before then, by the time I was able to join everyone else, I was all sweaty, grimy, and a _sewer rat_ probably smelled better than me.

No doubt the Corporal was probably thinking the exact same thing because after taking one look at me, his normally bland gray eyes narrowed slightly and a disdainful sneer began to form on his face.

"Oy. Brat." He called my attention casually just as I collapsed into the seat beside Petra, my shoulders heaving with exhaustion. Still trying to catch my breath, I looked up and stared blankly at him.

His half-lidded gray eyes swept over my face once before I recognized the annoyance in his eyes.

"Didn't I tell you to take a shower after your morning chores?! Would you smell yourself? You're disgusting! You'll get germs all over the food." He snapped, oblivious to Auruo and Gunther's snickers.

My cheeks reddened at the obvious disgust in his voice and before I realized what I was doing, I tilted my nose towards my grunge-stained clothes and took a quick whiff of the shirt I was wearing.

"Oh fucking hell, that's _gross!_"

The words flew out of my mouth before I could help myself and before I knew it, Petra had collapsed into a fit of giggles beside me and Corporal Levi was giving me a death glare that would have sent any other soldier scampering for the opposite direction. I didn't, however, mainly because I found his dismayed reaction at my smelly state more _hilarious _than daunting and I began laughing along with Petra, much to the Corporal's growing irritation. From the way he was moving his face, it was obvious that Auruo was trying to imitate the Corporal's scowling expression but otherwise, Gunther and Eld looked just as amused with the situation as I was. They confirmed it when they both gave me a wry grin.

"G–gomen nasai, Heichou." I managed to stammer out in between my giggles. "B–but I just finished disinfecting your office a few minutes ago and I didn't have enough time to take a shower–"

"You find this _amusing_, Yeager?" He drawled harshly and for a moment, I debated with myself on whether or not it would be smart or remarkably _stupid _to say the first thing that came into my mind – that of course I found this amusing (_**It wasn't like any other high-ranking military officer was as much of a prissy girl about hygiene as he was**_) but one look at the sneer on his face made me think twice.

"N–not at all, Sir! I was just–"

"Heichou." Petra (_**Bless her, she was such an angel when it came to saving my ass**_) chose that moment to interrupt, still smiling as she gave me a quelling glance before turning to the Corporal. "I believe we're just about done anyway so Eren can probably go back to her room now to take a shower."

"Whaaaaat?!" I whined, my eyes growing as wide as saucers and glistening with tears. "B–but I'm _starving!_ I'll go and take a shower later – if I go now, there won't be any food left when I get back–"

I failed to notice that another vein was beginning to throb above Corporal Levi's temple.

"–and besides, there isn't any hot water by now! The shower water will be freezing cold–"

"Oy! You ungrateful little brat!" Eld chose that moment to interrupt, slamming his fist down onto the table and glaring down at me with narrowed eyes. "If the Corporal says you need to go take a shower, then you'd do well to obey and take a goddamn shower! Do you want me to kick your ass?!"

I grumbled at that and my shoulders hunched at his outburst but before I could say anything, Auruo decided to add to my torment by leaning back against his chair and giving me a look that was somewhat–but–not–quite reminiscent of Corporal Levi's bland glare. (_**Honestly, why does he even bother?! It's not like any of us actually believe that he and Corporal Levi are similar in any way. Well maybe except for age, they're both ancient, but really! It's not like Petra will suddenly begin noticing him the way he wants her to if he acts more like the Corporal**_). I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"You're not getting _any _lunch until you take a shower." Auruo growled.

"Says _who?!_" My eyes sparked to life with annoyance and I turned to glare at him in disbelief.

"Says _me!_" He rose from his seat and grabbed a fistful of my shirt, jostling me around.

"I don't have to follow what you say, you dirty old man!" I glowered hotly at him, inadvertently causing Petra, Gunther, and even Eld to freeze in stunned shock and erupt into poorly muffled laughter.

"Why you shitty little brat!" Auruo reddened at my words and he almost jostled me again when, to my immense relief, Corporal Levi finally seemed to have lost his patience with the whole scene altogether. Without so much as a single glance at us, he rose from the table, took one languid sip from the teacup in his hand before he set it back down, grabbed his jacket and began heading out of the hall.

"Yeager."

Auruo and I both froze at the irritation in his voice and turned to look at him. He had stopped a few feet away from the exit doors, staring blandly at me from over his shoulder with narrowed eyes.

It took me a couple of seconds to find my voice so I could answer.

"Sir?" I squeaked.

I couldn't see his expression clearly (_**Thank god for that, I don't think I could stomach the humiliation if I could**_) but when I saw the reproach in his eyes, I _knew _exactly what he was going to say.

"Go take a _fucking _shower."

My face scrunched up and my lips pursed together into a childish, sullen scowl before I could stop myself, oblivious to Auruo and Gunther's muffled sniggers as I rose up obediently from the bench (_**Seriously, Petra, stop looking at me like I'm a poor little abused orphan**_) and stomped out of the hall.

* * *

****Levi****

Seriously, that titan _brat _was going to be the death of me.

I leave her alone for less than an hour and already she comes back smelling like some rotting, disgusting wild animal and looking as though she'd been rolling around in the mud (_**was that a smudge of wax on her cheek? How the fucking hell did she even get wax on her cheek?!**_) I resisted the urge to haul her right off the bench, drag her ass upstairs to my quarters, shove the brat into the blasted shower and scrub her so hard that when she came out, her pale skin would be almost as pink as a fucking pig's.

Granted, I probably wouldn't receive a positive response from the other officers for stripping my youngest subordinate and having my own vicious, sadistic way with her (_**though not in that sense at all**_) in the shower, I resisted. I figured it'd be too much of a fucking hassle having to explain to Erwin and my fellow officers the _real _reason I tossed Eren into the shower was because I wanted to give her a shower.

They'd probably find the whole situation hilarious anyway (_**those annoying fuckers**_).

So, ignoring the involuntary twitching of my left eye at having become an unwilling audience to such an appalling display of poor hygiene, I stood up sharply from my seat, set the teacup in my hand down onto the table and grabbed my jacket, heading towards the doors. A few steps away, I relented and glanced at Eren over my shoulder, watching as she exchanged a few creative insults with Auruo.

"Yeager."

She flinched at my voice, turning those doll-like green eyes at me and I almost relented at the sight. (_**Seriously?! How old are you that you'd allow yourself to get swayed just like that?!**_)

"Sir?"

"Go take a _fucking _shower."

I didn't bother waiting for her reaction before I stalked out of the hall and bounded up the long, winding staircase that led to the hallway with the officers' quarters. As soon as I had entered my office and slammed the doors shut, I paused for a few seconds, my heavy gaze carefully scrutinizing the room.

Surprisingly enough, despite Eren's less-than-impressive hygienic state when she had come bounding into the kitchen, she had actually done a decent enough job cleaning up my office – if not for the fact that the brat had somehow managed to fuck up the exact positioning of my swords from where they were hanging behind my desk. More than a little irritated, I muttered under my breath and walked over to the swords, repositioning them in the exact manner I wanted them to be. Afterwards, I turned around again; searching intently around the large office for anything else Eren might have messed up.

Save for the order and arrangement of my shoes on the rack by the doors (_**I distinctly remember giving that idiot specific instructions that my fucking fighting boots should always be placed on the bottom shelf and my bedroom slippers should be on the very top!), **_the rest of my belongings seemed to be, more or less, intact (_**there would have been hell to pay if she had messed anything else up**_).

After walking around my office one last time to ascertain that Eren had, in fact, sprayed and wiped all of my things – most especially the items on my desk – with the disinfectant alcohol I had given her, my scowl slackened and I allowed my expression to settle back into my usual blank, impassive look.

As I sat down slowly behind my desk and began rifling through the 'Urgent and Confidential' folders Erwin had left on my table again (_**Who was I kidding? To Erwin, every fucking thing was Urgent and Confidential, whether it was a goddamn 15-year-old titan or that he needed to take a shit**_). I thought back on my earlier realization that morning – how I might have been a _little _too hard on Eren by giving her all of those cleaning chores and exhausting her to the point of her not even being able to have time to practice her maneuvering with the rest of my squad. But then again, I weighed that against the alternative of exposing her to the rest of the Survey Corps and that didn't seem to be any better at all.

For one thing, every single solder in the castle was still expecting her to up and transform into that gigantic titan of hers any second. It certainly wouldn't do good for either me _or _Erwin if one of the soldiers accidentally ended up killing _'Humanity's Last Hope', _especially after we put on that flashy show in front of the entire legion just to take the brat in. Not to mention Hanji would probably throw a fit.

I winced at the thought as I inadvertently imagined Hanji going after me and Erwin with her swords drawn and with that maniacal, teary-eyed expression of hers like we had just murdered a fucking litter of puppies in front of her. I think I would prefer to avoid that confrontation as much as possible.

Besides, I wasn't even sure if Eren had _any _idea how to transform into a titan in the first place, much less have any form of control over herself once she did. Going over the reports, I happened to note that the second time Eren had transformed, she not only managed to destroy an entire neighborhood of houses but she had also managed to attack one of her teammates (_**If I remember correctly, it was that black-haired girl who was always wearing that red scarf and always calling out Eren's name**_). Whether the attack was intentional or not, that certainly didn't bode well with the rest of the military officers and because of that, Erwin was adamant that before we even allowed Eren out in the field with us, we had to understand _exactly _how much control we had over her in her titan form.

That responsibility was Hanji's jurisdiction anyway, as I couldn't really care less what the brat did in her titan form. She could dance around buck-naked for all I care, just as long as she didn't attack or try to kill anyone because then that would fall under _my _jurisdiction and I'd be forced to take her down.

And truth be told, I _really_ didn't want to do that.

The kid was hardheaded and annoying as _fuck_, sure, but I was beginning to harbor some twisted kind of soft spot for the brat, and I really did not want to be the one to kill her should the need arise.

A knock from outside interrupted my train of thought and forced me to look up, watching impassively as the doors to my office suddenly swung open and a tall, grinning brunette with large, framed glasses stepped into the room. Without even bothering to ask permission whether she could enter or not, Hanji flashed her usual loopy smile at me and strode towards me, her heavy, mud-caked boots trudging across my newly cleaned floors and leaving large footprints on the gleaming surface. As I witnessed this, I fought the urge to cringe in horrified dismay (_**I swear the bitch is doing that on purpose just to get a horrified reaction from me each time, I wasn't about to give her that fucking satisfaction**_).

Unfortunately, Hanji seemed to pick up on my reaction anyway. When she caught sight of the unmistakable way I was wringing my hands and the way I was desperately holding myself back from bolting from my desk and rushing across the room to get the mop, her eyes lit up and her grin widened.

"Yoohoo Shorty!" She greeted chirpily as she sank down onto the chair across my desk. "Sorry to disturb you like this—" My eyes twitched at that and I couldn't help gritting my teeth in annoyance.

(_**Oh sure, you're sorry about disturbing me like this but you're not in the least bit sorry about dirtying up my floors with your disgusting shoes?! You genderless, four-eyed piece of shit—**_)

"—but I wanted to ask you if it was alright for me to borrow Eren for the rest of the afternoon."

I opened my mouth to cut her off and tell her rudely to 'go to hell' but she beat me to it.

"I've been meaning to talk to her about a few things that I think will help me clear up some theories I've been formulating about titans biology! I actually think I have a lead on this one, Levi! I really do and it's all so exciting!" She squealed and shot up from her seat, slamming her hands down onto my table and making me flinch (_**Not out of surprise but mainly because I wasn't sure if she had washed her hands before she came bounding into my office and now she was spreading her germs onto my table, fucking hell!)**__. _"After talking to Sonny and Bean all morning, I've really come to understand them more!"

"…I find that more than a little hard to believe, Four-Eyes, seeing as titans do not fucking _talk_." I growled back through gritted teeth as I opened a bottle of alcohol and began rubbing the spot on the table where she had slammed her hands. "Now would you kindly not contaminate any of my things?!"

"On the contrary!" Hanji ignored me as she leaned back against her seat and clasped her hands together in excitement, resting them against her cheek. "I've discovered that titans actually respond _differently _to the same stimuli and it's completely fascinating! I think with enough experiments, I can—"

"Brilliant." I cut her off with a flat tone of voice, snapping the cap of the alcohol bottle back in place. "But I fail to see how or why this concerns me and why you need to borrow my youngest recruit. Who knows what kind of experiments you'd subject that poor kid to? I refuse to let her take part of it."

At the ire in my voice, Hanji peered down at me through her thick glasses and gave me a smirk.

"Ahhhh…A little overprotective aren't we, Levi?"

My eyes narrowed sharply at the teasing note in her voice but before I could salvage the situation with an icy retort, Hanji suddenly burst out laughing and was slapping her knee in her hilarity.

"Relax, _Daddy Levi! _I promise I'll bring your precious little daughter back home before dinner." She shot up from her seat again, ignoring the incredulous anger on my face. "Besides, Eren has absolutely nothing to fear from me. I'm not the one who beat her up in front of the entire legion—"

"Fuck you, Four-eyes." I snapped, and though my face was set in its usual impassive expression and I was careful enough to filter the anger from my voice, my nails were digging painfully into my palm.

Again, she ignored me (_**There were only two people in this fucking legion who dared to ignore me – Erwin and Hanji – and I swear how I cursed those assholes everyday for it**_) and glanced at her wristwatch.

"Hmm. That's strange. I told Eren to meet me so she should be here by now—"

"Levi-Heichou? Hanji-Buntaichou?"

At the familiar voice that had spoken, Hanji and I both turned towards the doorway, watching a clean and freshly showered Eren (_**O**__**h that is so much better, I can actually tell the color of her hair now. And had her skin always been that smooth? I couldn't tell from all that grime on her this morning**_) walking uncertainly into my office. She was decked out fully in her Survey Corps uniform now, half of her brown hair in a bun while the other half hung loosely against her shoulders. Her wide green eyes flicked questioningly from me to Hanji in question and it took me a minute to realize I had been staring at her.

"Ah Eren, there you are!" Hanji exclaimed cheerfully and bounded over to the young girl in question with an overly ecstatic smile on her face. "As promised, I got you off the hook from Shorty and his cleaning tyranny for the day! Now come on, come on let's get going! The future of humanity awaits!"

Just as she managed to grab Eren's hand to drag the brown-haired teen outside, Eren took that opportunity to pause and glance around my office, her curious gaze taking in the offending mud footprints along the floors and the obvious way I was squirming uncomfortably around in my seat. She stared at me, and those baby green eyes of hers made me more uncomfortable than I'd care to admit.

I wasn't exactly sure what it was about the expression she gave me that suddenly made the scowl on my face soften but before I got the chance to figure it out, she surprised both me _and _Hanji when she froze, gave Hanji an apologetic smile and then tugged her much smaller hand out of her grasp.

"Gomen-nasai, Hanji-san. Would it be okay for me to ask you to wait a couple of minutes for me outside before we leave? I think Levi-Heichou would feel much more comfortable working after I mop these floors up." She gestured to the mud prints on the floor again and ducked her head behind her hand, letting out a shy, sheepish laugh that I could have sworn went straight to a point below my gut.

My heart skipped before I realized that I was staring heatedly at Eren, an uncharacteristically stunned look on my normally stoic face. It was Hanji who broke out of her stunned expression first and she burst out into squealing laughter. Meanwhile, I was still struck speechless and completely _dazed_, staring quietly at Eren while fighting to ignore the warmth that was insistently seeping into my chest.(_**Goddamn it to hell, why did the shitty kid have to be so fucking sweet and adorable?**_) I was struck with the insane and nearly uncontrollable urge to yank the teen into my arms and nuzzle my nose into her goddamn hair but I instantly stamped the urge back down, feeling completely and utterly ridiculous.

As Hanji launched into another teasing tirade about how I was obviously a bad influence on Eren (_**I wasn't paying that much attention at that point. I think Hanji was saying something about how my obsessive-compulsive cleanliness was rubbing off on the poor girl. I deliberately chose to ignore her comment. If by my 'influencing' Eren, she meant that the young girl was beginning to care about being clean, then I would think that's a positive influence on the little brat.**_), I somehow managed to collect myself. Clearing my throat, I turned to Eren again and gave her a barely perceivable incline of my head.

"I'd appreciate that, Eren." I told her, thought not before allowing her to see the unmistakable tugging of a reluctant smile at the corner of my mouth. She noticed, of course, and when her large green eyes brightened and she flashed her own smile at me, I hastily tore my gaze away and turned to Hanji.

"As for you, Four-eyes, go wait outside." I snapped at her, ignoring the amused smirk she gave me at having witnessed my little exchange with Eren. "I don't want your dirty shit all over my floor."

"Ahhh well…I guess it can't be helped." Hanji pretended to roll her eyes and reached over to give Eren's hair an affectionate ruffle before trudging towards the exit doors. "Eren, you have fifteen minutes to clean the floors and mollify Gramps over there. I'll wait for you by the stables." She told her.

"Wakata, Hanji-san." Eren nodded and answered Hanji with a customary salute and another smile before making her way across the office, grabbing the mop and beginning to scrub at the floors.

I watched her in silence for a few minutes (_**The brat really was quite a sight. She had an undeniably pretty face on her. Soft features, pert nose, fringe of brown locks, alert green eyes and soft pink lips. Goddamn it, you bastard. She's fucking fifteen!**__)_. She hummed as she cleaned and I noticed the way she would pause every now and then, as though she suddenly remembered a sad story that she had willed herself to forget, before shaking her head and turning away to hide the sadness in her eyes.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to study Eren any further because in that moment, just as Hanji had reached the doors to my office, she turned to look at me again and gave me a curious smile.

"Before I forget – it's your squad's turn to handle laundry duties beginning next week right?"

Annoyed, I reluctantly withdrew my hooded gaze away from Eren and stared blankly at her.

"So it is." I confirmed once her question had sunk in.

"Ah." Hanji shot me a knowing grin and shook her head. "I believe this would be Eren's first time handling laundry duties under your watch then. Do try not to be so hard on the poor kid again, Shorty."

"She's _my _subordinate." I growled. "I can deal with her however the fuck I want, Four-eyes."

Hanji shot me one last sly smirk before walking out of the room.

* * *

**Notes:** Is it obvious that Hanji is one of my favorite characters? Aside from Levi of course. And writing out the interactions between the two of them is just so much fun. *giggle*

"_Gomen-nasai – I'm sorry_

"_Wakata" – I understand_

"_Buntaichou" – Division Officer _

Comments, suggestions or feedback are more than welcome! :D


	3. The Reluctant Housewife

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here. Cover image of the story is also not mine. Please refer to my profile page for the source website.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes:** Third chapter in three days. This must be an all-time record for me. Damn you, you annoying muse.

* * *

**Chapter 3 – The Reluctant Housewife**

****Eren****

So far, the only conclusive information we were able to get from Major Hanji's experiments the previous afternoon was that, as surprising as the thought was, titans actually had actual differences with one another. In the case of Sonny and Bean (_**For god's sake, I still have no idea why Hanji-san felt the need to name two goddamn titans!**_), their bodies reacted differently to prolonged sunlight exposure. I seem to be taking Corporal Levi's side more on this one though. I couldn't care less if the titans _danced _when exposed to sunlight. All I really ever cared about was how I could slaughter a titan fast enough.

As it was, I was exhausted and sleepy as _hell _the following morning that I barely registered what the Corporal was saying when he had come down to the dungeons to unchain me, yank me rudely out of bed, dump a fresh set of cleaning clothes in my arms and shove me impatiently into the shower. Fortunately (_**or maybe unfortunately in my case**_), the shocking blast of freezing water against my skin was able to wake me up and I let out a shriek that would have attracted titans well beyond Wall Rose.

Trudging out of the bathroom, I could have sworn that the Corporal was hiding a smirk behind his hand (_**Seriously?! He thinks that was funny? I could have died from hypothermia or something!**_). He shook his head at my disgruntled expression before tossing me a rather nifty new set of cleaning gloves.

"That's what you get for sleeping in, you little brat. You missed all the hot water." He pointed out, causing me to grumble again as I automatically yanked the cleaning gloves over my hands. Once I did, however, it took a few seconds for my confusion to register before I finally turned to stare at him.

"Heichou? What are these for?" I flicked my gaze back to the gloves in question.

"It's our squad's turn to do laundry today." He explained slowly, wearing an expression that made it look as though he was talking to a goddamn child. (_**When are any of them ever going to realize that I'm not a kid?!**_) "The others are already there, so you'd do well to join them." He added calmly.

"But—" I hesitated (_**Wasn't cleaning his and the Commander's office always the first thing on my to-do list every morning?**_) "Sir, don't I usually start on the Commander's office in the morning?"

"Oh don't worry about that." He cast his impassive eyes toward me again and answered me with an imperceptible shrug before he began heading towards the door. "You can proceed with the rest of your usual chores after you're finished with your laundry duties. Now get a move on, you little shit!"

"E—eh… H—Heichou—" I made to call after him again to protest but he was already gone and a bead of sweat began to form along my brow. (_**Is he serious?! He expects me to help the squad with laundry, then clean his and the Commander's office and then take a shower ALL before lunchtime?!**__) _

Apparently the Corporal was very serious because I didn't see him again after that and I had no choice but to stomp all the way outside the castle to where Petra, Auruo and the rest of the squad were already set up outside with piles and piles of dirty laundry. I grumbled and made my way over to join them, propping up a stool beside Petra and wrinkling my nose as I sifted through all the dirty clothes.

"You get used to it after awhile." Petra told me with a laugh. She probably saw the face I made when I picked up the male jacket on the top of my pile (_**Oh gross! Who the hell does this jacket belong to, it stinks like hell!**_) Before I got the chance to answer her, Auruo had suddenly called my attention.

"Oy! Be careful with that, I think that's mine!" He pointed out with a seemingly blank face (_**Trying to imitate the Corporal again, no doubt**_). Turning my head, I raised an eyebrow at him and held the offending jacket up in the air with my thumb and index finger. "You mean to tell me _this _is yours?"

"That's what I just said, dumbass!" He snapped again and he retaliated at the sickened expression I gave him by flinging a handful of soapsuds at me. "Oh don't act all high and mighty, Yeager. Remember, I'm not the one who came walking into the kitchen smelling like a rat had pissed all over me!" He snapped, causing Gunter and Eld to turn away so that they could hide their amused smirks.

My cheeks reddened slightly at their laughter but I chose to ignore Auruo's offhand comment and simply gave him a disgruntled glare before starting to work on my own laundry pile. As I began to wash one article of clothing after another, I noticed that the number of clothes we seemed to be working on belonged to more than a single squad. In my confusion, I turned to Petra and asked her this.

She managed to clear things up for me. "In the Survey Corps, we regularly rotate the daily chores of each squad every month – just to be fair, of course. And each month, one squad is assigned to wash clothes every morning – and by 'clothes, I mean the laundry of the _entire _Survey Corp." She explained, causing my eyes to widen in dismay. Petra smiled at my expression again and chuckled softly.

"Last month, we were assigned kitchen duties so _this _month we do laundry. Next month, we'll probably be assigned to feed and tend to the horses." Gunther grunted from beside Auruo. "So stop complaining brat. There's no room for slacking in the Military. Everybody has to earn their stay here."

"I wasn't complaining." I grumbled under my breath, scowling as I reached for the next article of clothing in my pile (_**I had barely made a dent in it, I still had a long way to go.**_) "I was just wondering."

"Petra." Eld suddenly interrupted, causing the rest of us to look up as well. "Has the Corporal said anything? Isn't he supposed to drop his laundry basket off with us by now?" He asked her curiously.

"No." Frowning, Petra shook her head and looked up, casting her gaze towards the castle. "He did have a meeting this morning with Major Hanji but he should be here by now." She thought out loud.

"Whose turn is it this week anyway?" Auruo asked, using the back of his hand to wipe his face.

"Turn this week for what?" I looked up at that and glanced questioningly at him but he ignored me and glanced at Petra, rolling his eyes when he saw the obvious blush on the female soldier's face (_**Alright, I got it now. I knew from the first day I joined the Corps that Petra always had some kind of thing for the Corporal but I never realized how obvious it was until now. Does Heichou like her too?)**_

When I realized that the silly question I had just asked myself had no relevance at all to me and that I had no business delving into such personal matters like that anyway (_**Especially personal matters that concerned my Commanding Officer**_), I squelched my curiosity back down and looked up again.

Petra was still trying to hide her blush but she met Auruo's annoyed glare and shrugged at him.

"It's my turn, I suppose. It was Gunther's turn last week, so I'm next." She pointed out.

"Excited much, aren't we?" Auruo grunted again, rolling his eyes.

"That is _none _of your business!" She snapped at him, her cheeks flushing darker.

"Uhm…I don't get it." I directed my confused expression at Eld this time (_**Seeing as Petra and Auruo had decided to launch into another one of their famous heated arguments about how Auruo should stop trying to copy Corporal Levi and whatnot – I wasn't certain – all I knew was that Petra sure had a shrill voice when she was pissed off**_) and he let out an amused snort before he answered.

"I forget that you're still a naïve, shitfaced little 15-year-old brat." He mused out loud, instantly causing the confusion on my face to dissolve as my features pursed up into an indignant, angry scowl.

"Heeeey!" I burst out in a high-pitched whine. "Don't be so mean—"

Eld ignored me and went on. "You know how the Corporal is right? He's a scarily obsessive clean-freak, and you can imagine how often he changes his clothes in a single day. Well—" Eld rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "—the thing is, he's very picky about who washes his clothes and so he doesn't just dump them in the communal laundry basket just like everyone else does. Instead, he assigns the task of cleaning his laundry to one of _us—" _He gestured to their squad. "—each week."

"Err…I see." One of my eyes must have grown bigger than the other because Eld looked amused at me and he let out a chuckle. "And how often does the Corporal need to have his clothes washed?"

"Every goddamn day." Gunther answered my question with a snort and shook his head.

"But—" I was still trying to wrap my head around what Eld had just said (_**But fucking hell, it was kind of difficult to think when you're caught in the middle of Petra and Auruo's loud arguing**_) "—you guys just said that a different squad gets assigned to do the laundry each month? How does that work?"

"Doesn't matter if we're the squad assigned on laundry duty or not." Eld grunted again as he turned back to his dirty clothes pile. "Since the Corporal wants his laundry done every day anyway, one of us will _always _have to wash his clothes in the morning. Otherwise, he gets all prissy and hysterical and he throws a goddamn fit for the rest of the day." He grumbled and Gunther snorted again in agreement.

"I…see."

I realized too late that I was beginning to imagine Corporal Levi throwing a hissy fit like some kind of 12-year-old girl around the castle (_**that would be hysterical, I would give anything to see that**_)but just as a giggle threatened to erupt from my lips, I squelched it down immediately when I caught sight of the subject of our discussion (_**Corporal Levi himself, looking pristine and clean and perpetually bored as always**_) striding out of the castle and heading towards us. Just as Eld had said, a small basket of neatly folded clothes was tucked under the Corporal's arm and he paused just as he had reached us.

At the sight of him, Petra noticeably reddened and she broke off from her raging argument with Auruo immediately and stood up from her stool. When she addressed him with a warm smile and reached out to take the basket from him, however, the Corporal swept his bored gaze over all of us, one by one – past Petra, past Auruo, past Gunther, past me, past Eld – before his gray eyes suddenly narrowed and slashed back to stare right at me, piercing me with his steel gaze. I held back a terrified squeak and immediately froze up, arrested by the unreadable expression on his face, before finally—

"Yeager." He called out sharply.

All at once, as though by some unspoken code of respect (_**Or maybe it was just fear, I can't really tell one from the other when it came to the Corporal**_), the entire squad looked up from their laundry piles and watched in stunned stupor as Corporal Levi walked right past Petra (_**I saw the crestfallen expression on her face and I immediately felt bad for her though I couldn't really express it right then because holy hell, the Corporal was headed right for me with that scary glare on his face**_).

Corporal Levi ignored the confused look Eld and Gunther were giving him as he finally stopped in front of me, causing me to squint at the sunlight as I was forced to look up at his looming figure. Some part of me registered that this was the only time I remembered ever having to look up at him (_**I think he's the same height as I am, maybe even a bit shorter. It was no wonder Major Hanji was always calling him 'Shorty'**_) but I didn't dare point that out, mainly because I still kind of valued my own life.

When I had finally cleared enough of my thoughts to focus my attention on him, he swept his lazy gray eyes over my drenched, seated form again before shaking his head with a disinterested 'tssch'.

"I'm adding another chore to your list." He ignored the soft gasp that had come from Petra and the others and met my horrified stare at him with a decidedly bored expression. After kicking aside the clothes pile in front of me, he dropped his laundry basket right on top of my head (_**Holy hell, like that doesn't hurt at all!**_), causing me to stumble clumsily to the ground with a loud, high-pitched cry of pain.

"Itai!" I whined, my eyes going glassy with pain as I clutched at the forming bump on my poor head, fighting the urge to scowl up at the Corporal as he answered me with a blank, impassive stare.

"Consider this part of your routine from now on. At 6AM sharp, you're to wash my clothes every morning. In the _exact _order I arranged them in that basket." He added warningly after an awkward moment of silence. "After you hang them up to dry, you can proceed with cleaning Erwin's office, then mine, then join the rest of the squad with regular chores. Only _after_ you take a shower, you may have lunch."

I was still clutching at the bruise on my head but I was beginning to sweat profusely at his words. (_**Like shit, does he think I have four hands or something?!**_) I opened my mouth to protest but the Corporal just ignored me entirely. He went on and leveled me with a very dark, menacing glare.

"I'm warning you, brat. If I catch you around the castle again, smelling like a fucking rat like you did yesterday, I am going to leave the imprint of my boot's heel on your pretty little face." He growled.

"Y—yes, Heichou!" I stammered, my cheeks burning hotly with humiliation.

"After lunch, proceed to cleaning the stables, the meeting rooms, then you may join the others for Maneuver Gear training. Afterwards, I expect you take another shower before you have dinner."

"Heichou." Petra finally seemed to take pity on me and interrupted him (_**Like I said, bless her. She's the only one who really bothers to save my ass**_). "Perhaps it would be better if I be the one to handle your laundry instead? I think Eren might have too many chores already." She began uncertainly.

Unfortunately for me, Corporal Levi ignored Petra completely and continued.

"At precisely 8PM sharp, you are to collect my clothes and deliver them up to my quarters. Afterwards, you are to clean and tidy up my room and office one last time before I excuse you for the night. This is an order, Yeager, so am I making all of my instructions clear?" He glared impatiently at me.

"S—Sir!" I swallowed the lump in my throat and glanced helplessly at Petra and the others from the corner of my eye (_**What the hell is Auruo smirking about?! That sadistic bastard!**_). "I'm not sure I can do all that, Heichou! And I thought that I was only supposed to clean your office in the morning—"

"Well, I've thought about it—" He began (_**What the hell is with that gleam in his eyes?**_) "—and since you did such a good job cleaning my office yesterday, I've decided that I want you to clean it _twice _a day from now on. Once in the morning and once after dinner." He arched a single eyebrow at me, allowing me to see the smirk on his face. "I've always cleaned my office twice a day anyway. Now that I can order you to do it, it'll save me a lot of time and I can get more work done. Don't you agree?" Corporal Levi directed his question at Eld and Auruo, and they both nodded hastily at him (_**Cowards!**_).

I stared helplessly at the neatly folded piles of his uniform in the basket in front of me.

"Sir, this isn't fair! Why do you keep giving me more chores than the others?! Do you hate me?!"

His hooded eyes hardened at my words and he met my wide eyes with a challenging sneer.

"Do you have objections or something, you little shit?!" He growled harshly.

I hesitated and glanced at my squadmates again but when Petra frantically shook her head at me and Eld gave me a reproachful glare over the Corporal's shoulder, I knew I was backed into a corner.

"No, Heichou. Of course not." I grumbled miserably, pursing my lips into a scowl.

"Then stop pouting at me like some goddamn 5-year-old and get to work!"

He didn't wait for my response before he turned and stalked back towards the castle (_**I was seriously beginning to wonder what the hell I'd been thinking when I'd thought of him as my childhood hero**_) and I was sorely tempted to hurl the bar of soap I held towards the back of his head.

* * *

****Levi****

As soon as I had made it back to the castle, I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized the gravity and the implications of what I had just done (_**I just ordered the youngest member of my squad to wash my laundry and clean my office every day like she was my very own goddamn housewife!**__)_

No wonder she had said I was being unfair – what the fuck was I even thinking?!

It wasn't like I had never asked Petra, Eld, Auruo or Gunther to wash my clothes before, I had always shuffled the task of doing my laundry around them and they never once complained about it (_**Well that wasn't entirely true. I suspected that Auruo may have had more than a few complaints but he wouldn't dare voice them out and I couldn't care less if he did**__)_. I suspected that they were just as surprised with what had happened a while ago as I was, though I still hadn't figured it all out myself.

Truthfully, I really hadn't expected to end up dumping all my laundry on that little brat but when I came out of the castle and I saw Eren, sitting between Eld and Petra, with that adorable little smile on her face (_**Goddamn it, Levi! She's fifteen-years-old!**_), my feet began dragging me over to her before I stop myself.

I had meant to give my laundry basket to Petra that morning, I really did, but the situation just spiraled out of my control. I tried to pass off what I had just done by convincing myself that the reason I had ordered Eren to do my laundry every morning was because she was the youngest and most inexperienced member of my squad (_**In other words, I could waste her time and energy all I wanted with meaningless cleaning chores since she had the least skill and expertise to contribute in battle anyway and I wouldn't have to waste the time of my other more experienced soldiers**_) but that didn't seem to be the case at all. Especially since, the more I think about it, the idea of having Eren delivering my laundry up to my quarters every evening was beginning to sound more and more appealing to me.

"Christ." I muttered angrily as I turned the corner leading back to my office, more than ready to lock myself up in my room and bury myself in reading Erwin's boring-as-fuck strategy reports for the remainder of that morning. "Get a hold of yourself. She's less than half your age, you sick bastard—"

"Who's less than half your age?" A familiar voice suddenly spoke up behind me, causing me to break out of my trance. I snapped my head back up, glaring incredulously at Erwin's amused smirk.

"Don't you ever _knock?!_" I snapped at him, only to realize about half a second later the stupidity of my statement (_**Of course he couldn't knock you stupid idiot, you're not even inside your office yet**_). Thankfully, Erwin chose to ignore that ridiculous comment and quietly followed me inside my office.

"I'm not here to bother you, Levi. I'm just here to inform you that we have a meeting in Wall Sina next week. The MP want to talk to us." He paused when he noticed the annoyed scowl on my face.

"What issue do those fuckers have with us now?" I growled as I sat down behind my desk and began rearranging the folders on my table. Erwin ignored my reaction and let out a sigh in exasperation.

"Hopefully _nothing, _Levi, unless you _give_ them an issue." He gave me a pointed look (_**What the hell is he looking at me like that for? It's not my fault those MP bastards hate me so much!**_) before turning around and beginning to walk away. Just before he reached the doors, however, he turned around to glance at me again and I stiffened when I saw the look of realization that lingered on his face.

"Less than half your age. Were you referring to Eren?" He asked, his expression caught between a mixture of amusement and disapproval. "Levi, you know the legion frowns upon that kind of thing—"

I slammed my fist against the table to interrupt him and glared at him through hooded eyes.

"Get the fuck out."

Erwin didn't press the issue further and after shaking his head at me again, he turned and strode briskly out of the office. After I had stood up and slammed the doors after him, it took me a couple of minutes before I was able to collect myself again and I slowly sat myself back down behind my desk.

More than owing to the fact that I didn't want to face either Erwin, Hanji or Mike any time soon (_**Especially with the foul mood I seemed to have worked myself into, I blame Erwin and these fucking military reports of his for that**_), I opted to lock myself up in my office for the rest of that afternoon, stepping out only twice – once during lunch time and the second time to join my squad for early dinner.

As such, it was probably well past sunset when I heard a soft knocking noise, followed by Eren's hesitant voice as she slowly opened the doors to my office and peeked her head inside to stare at me.

"Levi-Heichou?" She hesitated, and I just knew that those large eyes of hers were on me.

Unfortunately for her, I was pretty much still in a rather foul mood that evening and I didn't bother looking up from the report I was reading before gesturing impatiently to her with my hand to enter. She did just that, though not before accidentally stubbing her toe against the doorframe (_**That clumsy little idiot**_) and nearly dropping the basket of freshly washed clothes she carried in her arms.

"Yeager, if you make the mistake of dropping that—" I began, though my eyes never left the strategy report I was reading. "—you will spend the remainder of this week as titan _bait._" I drawled icily.

"G—gomen-nasai!" She squeaked, visibly shaking.

I stifled a smirk when I heard her swallow audibly before she glanced at me again.

"Where do you want me to put your clothes, Sir?"

* * *

****Eren****

He was smirking at my discomfort (_**I could just tell that he was!**_) and even when I asked him where I should put his clothes, he _still _refused to look at me. All he did was let out that impatient 'Tssch' sound of his before he raised a hand and pointed me impatiently to the door by the side of his office.

"Bedroom's not locked. You may go in and place my clothes back in the dresser." He ordered.

I nodded (_**Though I felt incredibly stupid afterwards, it's not like he was looking at me anyway**_) but just as I was about to head towards his bedroom, Corporal Levi surprised me when he suddenly looked up from whatever he was reading on his desk and leveled me with an affronted glare. (_**What? Why is he looking at me like that now? I just took a shower! Do I have something on my face again?)**_

"Oy. Brat."

I froze at the warning in his cold expression.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He drawled in a calm, controlled voice.

"Uhm—" I stammered for a few seconds before I realized that he was glaring at my shoes and it clicked (_**How could I have forgotten that he was even more of a prissy when it came to his bedroom?**_).

"G—gomen-nasai, Heichou!" I apologized again with a defeated sigh.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I set the laundry basket back down and hurriedly slipped out of my shoes, stashing them in the shoe rack by the door. Then, grabbing the bottle of alcohol from his desk, I doused both my feet _and _my hands with a liberal amount before I turned back to glance at him.

He looked up from his report again and stared impassively at me, seemingly appraising my appearance from head to toe before one corner of his lips twitched upward and he gave me a lazy wink.

"Good girl."

My cheeks reddened and I tried to ignore the teasing tone of his voice as I picked up the laundry basket again and opened the doors connecting to his quarters, letting myself into his pristine bedroom. Despite my having been in the room before to clean and disinfect everything, it was a different matter altogether now that I was in here at _night _and for the fucking life of me, I just could not stop blushing.

Still flustered, I set the laundry basket down beside his dresser and stole a quick look at him again, noting that he had gone back to reading the stack of papers on his desk (_**Damn it to hell, Eren! Stop blushing or else he'll definitely notice! You're acting like a silly little schoolgirl with a crush!**_).

Well granted, I actually _was _a silly girl with a crush on him at some point (_**That was five years ago, and I was a little kid back then! Besides, I couldn't help it – he was my hero against the titans– Humanity's Strongest Soldier. I used to wait by the windows of our house every day just so I could get a glimpse of him as he rode through town with Commander Erwin and the rest of the Survey Corps**_) but that phase was supposed to be long gone by now and I certainly couldn't harbor _that _kind of feelings for him anymore. He was my Commanding Officer and I was his subordinate. It wouldn't be appropriate_. _

Sighing and muttering under my breath, I had just reached into the laundry basket and was about to place his shirt back into its respective drawer when the Corporal suddenly interrupted me again. This time, he was giving me a hooded glare that made me want to melt into a puddle on the floor.

"And just what do you think you're doing _now, _Yeager?" He snapped, his eyes glinting.

"Returning your clothes, Sir?" I finally managed to squeak out after a long, awkward moment of me blinking at him. "You just told me to place all your clothes back inside your drawer." I pointed out.

"I see that." He intoned blandly, arching at eyebrow at my confused expression. "And I _did _instruct you to place my clothes back inside my drawer. But I did _not, _however, tell you to act like an ignorant idiot and place them inside without _ironing _them and folding them properly first." He snapped.

"Sir?!" My eyes bugged completely at his statement and I was unable to prevent my voice from reaching a new level of octave that I didn't even know I was capable of (_**What the hell?! Now he wants me to iron out his clothes too?! This is getting completely ridiculous! I'm going to take forever in here, I still have to clean his office!**_) I struggled to keep the angry exasperation from creeping into my voice.

"You never mentioned anything this morning about ironing your clothes, Sir." I told him bluntly.

"Oh I didn't?" Corporal Levi cast his bored, hooded gray eyes at me again before he gave a slight shrug and turned back to his reading. "Well I'm telling you _now, _Yeager, so get to it. That's an order."

"Sir." I finally blurted out before I could stop myself, calling his attention again and forcing him to glance back up at me. "Are you mad at me for something? Is that why you're punishing me like this?"

He looked surprised, and slightly impressed at the directness of my question, but instead of responding to me with his usual blank stare or anger as I'd initially anticipated (_**And believe me, I'd been wanting to voice that question out for quite some time now. I'd rehearsed all types of scenarios and responses in my head, each one dependent on his reaction**_), his lips curled upwards into a wry smirk.

When he didn't say anything for a long time, I realized my mistake and I backtracked hastily.

"N—not that I'm complaining about that or anything, Sir! I just wanted to know because – well, if you're angry with me for something, maybe there's a better way for me to atone for whatever it was I did wrong. I mean—" I let out a nervous laugh and wiped the bead of sweat forming along my brow.

"—I'll understand if you think this is proper punishment for me but I just want to know—"

"On the contrary, Yeager." He finally interrupted me, causing me to freeze and look up at him when I detected a hint of amusement in his voice. "I'm not mad at you, nor am I punishing you at all."

He set the stack of papers he held in his hands back down and finally focused his attention solely on me, allowing me to see the strangely curious gleam in his otherwise guarded gray eyes. "In fact, I find myself, developing some kind of…_favoritism_…towards you. " He looked bothered by his own admission.

"Favoritism?" I wasn't sure I had heard him right.

He ignored my reaction, his face settling back into his blank mask . "You might consider yourself lucky, brat. It's not like I trust any other member of my squad to clean my room and wash my clothes."

"Sir?" I realized I was gaping at him again and I would have asked him to clarify further but that was when Corporal Levi seemed to have decided that we were done with this conversation altogether because he tore his gaze away from me and began rifling through the stack of papers on his desk again.

"Now quit your stalling and hurry up with that ironing, you shitty little brat! You still have to clean and straighten up my room and office before I dismiss you for the night." He snapped impatiently.

After that, he spent the next few minutes sifting through his reports again and ignoring me completely (_**Does he really expect me to iron out his clothes for him like his fucking housewife?! I mean, hell – I always knew that the Corporal was an obsessive clean freak but I hadn't expected this!**__)._

When I tried to protest again, he just looked annoyed and added further, "Oh and I do hope, for your sake, that you followed my instructions about washing and drying my clothes in the _exact_ same order I gave them to you, brat. Make sure that after you iron them out and fold them back up, you place them in my drawer in that _exact_ same order as well. If I see a single piece of clothing out of its proper order or wrinkled, I swear to god, I am going to feed your sorry ass to a fucking 15-meter class titan."

As I gaped at him from across the room, I was able to arrive at only _one _possible explanation.

My Commanding Officer, Humanity's Strongest Soldier, was a fucking _psycho._

* * *

**Notes:** Poor Eren. I can't really blame her for thinking that Levi's popped his screws. This is so much fun.

"_Itai" – _The Japanese equivalent of "Ouch!" or "That hurts!_"_

Comments? Suggestions? Violent reactions? :D


	4. Of Trust and Titan Arms

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **To answer the question about Levi's age in this story – Well, I'd like to stick to canon regarding that so I'd say he's probably somewhere in his early thirties (around 33 to 35). So yes folks, there _is _a considerable age gap between them but like I said, you should have expected that already. ;)

Surprisingly, this chapter took a bit of serious turn somewhere in the middle and near the end and I'd like to apologize for that. It's all Eren's fault! Ehehe. Back to humor in the next chapter, I promise!

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Of Trust and Titan Arms **

****Eren****

It took a few painful days of trial and error on my part (_**And getting kicked in the shin a few times by the Corporal, thank god for titan healing.**_) but I was finally able to adjust to the very precise routine and manner that the Corporal wanted his laundry done. It was grueling and ridiculous.

There was _always _an exact and precise manner in doing things – there was an exact manner in _washing_ his clothes, the right amount of soap to be used, the right amount of pressure I should use in scrubbing. There was an exact manner in _folding_ his clothes (_**He was nasty about that. Stray crease lines were just unacceptable to him.**_) There was even an exact order and classification (_**By color and type of clothing**_) that I had to follow when I returned his clothes back into his dresser in the evening.

It was an obsessive compulsive nightmare (_**And that wasn't even half of my chore list!**_)

At precisely 6AM every morning, after taking a quick morning shower, I would rush to the Corporal's office, pick up his laundry basket, and wash his clothes outside the castle (_**I forced myself to get used to the really creepy way Petra kept staring at me as I did this**_). After I'd finished hanging his clothes out to dry, I'd help the squad with the rest of the laundry, then after that (_**while the rest of the squad were free to take a break before going to lunch**_), I'd head off to clean the Commander's office, and then finally Corporal Levi's office. Once _that _was all done (_**I was usually hungry enough to eat a rock by then**_), I'd rush back to my room to take another shower before finally taking a break for lunch.

There wasn't even any time for me to enjoy a quick breather afterwards because as soon I'd shoved the last spoonful of food into my mouth (_**I deliberately ate slow during lunch time because I knew Corporal Levi was waiting for me to finish**_), he'd order me to haul my ass back outside to clean the stables. And once _that _was done, I had to sweep the castle halls and meeting rooms. Assuming we had no Maneuver Gear training in the afternoon or that I had no "titan experiments" with Major Hanji, I would finally go back to my room (_**aka that dungeon downstairs**_) to take yet another cold shower.

Finally, after having dinner with the Special Ops Squad, I'd go back outside the castle to collect the Corporal's clothes, deliver them to his room, iron and fold them all carefully and place them back in their proper order inside his dresser. Finally, after I did another quick clean-up of his room and office, the Corporal would look up to address me, give me a nod and dismiss me for the rest of the night.

Though it was all tiring as hell (_**Like shit, I actually felt more like a housemaid than a soldier!**_), I had to admit that all the cleaning _did _give me a much needed distraction from thinking too much about everything that had happened in my life. I could almost forget about the incident that took place in Trost a few weeks ago (_**God, just thinking about it all now still made my insides churn. There were so many good soldiers who died that day, and I could have prevented their deaths had I not lost my control**_).

Sometimes, a part of me even _wished _that I had more chores to do at night.

When I was alone in my dungeon, the doors bolted and my wrists chained to the bed (_**They were afraid I'd explode into a titan rampage in the middle of the night**_), I'd be overwhelmed by a wave of depression. I would stare up at the ceiling, thinking about my mom, my dad, Mikasa and Armin.

During my early training days with the 104th trainee squad, it was Mikasa who used to hold me at night whenever I would think about my mom's death. The fact that she was far away from me and that I really didn't have anyone to talk to in the Survey Corps (_**When it came down to it, I think everyone is still half-expecting me to turn into a titan. They don't trust me.**_) made me feel more alone than ever.

I thought about the secret of why I could turn into a gigantic 15-meter titan and the way everyone had looked at me in that tribunal that day – like I was some horrible monster that they wanted killed on sight. I thought about the way my life could have ended up if Wall Maria had never been breached and I hadn't joined the military. Then I'd think about my mom again – I _always _thought about my mom. How I missed the way she'd hold me, tell me to be brave and fight. That everything was going to be alright. I thought about how I missed her so much, and I usually ended up crying myself to sleep.

Corporal Levi was the one who woke me up that morning.

I was actually quite surprised to see him there, considering that he and Commander Erwin had gone off to Wall Sina three days ago to attend a high-priority meeting (_**Thank god he wasn't here these past three days, I had the worst fucking cramps. I doubt I could have handled his hissy fits if he was!**_).

From what I had gathered from Eld, the Corporal and Commander wouldn't be back for another two more days (_**Travel from Wall Rose to Wall Sina usually took a day's journey. He'd probably have to skip sleep altogether just so he could return as soon as possible**_.) so I really hadn't expected to see him.

As was our usual routine, Corporal Levi swung open the thick doors to my dungeon, unlocked the chains around my wrist and then proceeded to wake me up. Strangely enough, I noticed that he was being surprisingly gentle with his wake-up routine that morning. Instead of kicking me in the shin like he usually did, he peered closely at me, his half-lidded eyes sweeping over my face (_**I reddened and looked away when I realized that my eyes were still red from crying that night**_), and he spoke in a soft voice.

"Time to wake up, Yeager." He took a few steps toward me and waited as I got up slowly from the bed and stretched my limbs out, trying to recirculate the blood in my muscles. When I looked up and saw that he was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, bored eyes focused intently on me, I froze.

His face gave nothing away as he studied the puffiness around my tired eyes.

"Have you been crying?" He asked quietly.

I stiffened at his question. (_**Had it been any person other than Corporal Levi who had dared ask me that, I would have already punched him in the face**_) but as it was, all I could do was hastily tear my gaze away from him. I pretended not to have heard him and busied myself with fixing my bed covers.

To my relief, he let the matter drop easily, showing no inclination to push it any further. When I struggled for a few seconds on how to address the awkward silence that had settled between us, he straightened himself back up from the wall and began walking wordlessly towards the dungeon doors.

He stopped as he reached the doors and glared irritably at me over his shoulder.

"What the hell are you waiting for, brat?! Get your skinny ass into the shower!"

My shoulders relaxed at this and I managed a relieved, choked-up laugh at his words (_**Thank fuck for that, I was almost scared he'd start pitying me like some pathetic orphan**_). I nodded hastily at him and grabbed a fresh set of cleaning clothes, racing as fast as I could towards the showers.

* * *

"I–I don't know what happened, I swear! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" I closed my eyes and willed away the tears that were threatening to spill from eyes as I knelt down on the grass, blinking up at the barrage of angry faces that were glaring down at me – _Petra, Auruo, Eld, Gunther _– every single one of them had their swords drawn and were circled around me, ready to take me down at any moment.

The remains of a dismembered titan arm (_**A fucking titan arm and I was still partially attached to it!**_) lay on the ground beside me and I stared at it, blinking rapidly and trying in vain to figure out what the hell had happened. My hand was bleeding and it hurt like _hell _from the way I did nothing but sink my teeth into it all afternoon but that hadn't triggered a titan shift in me at all. It was when I had bent down to pick up the tiny teaspoon I had dropped onto the ground that something inside me just _exploded _and before I knew it, I was surrounded by smoke and my entire squad was screaming curse words at me.

Major Hanji had been excited, of course (_**I thought she was going to cream her pants right then and there– wait, was that actually appropriate? Is she–he a girl or a man?**_). She was practically bouncing around in her joy but the rest of the Survey Corp were looking at me with murder in their eyes.

I was shocked, confused and _terrified_ all at once of what had happened and I almost knew for certain that I was in trouble this time but that was when I noticed him – _Corporal Levi. _He looked as calm and quiet and as impassive as ever and he chose to blatantly ignore the screams of Petra and the others for him to get away as he walked slowly towards me, placing himself directly between me and his squad.

"Stand down, all of you!" He ordered sharply. "Everyone, just calm the fuck down!"

"Heichou!" Petra gasped as she looked as though she was holding herself back from rushing over to shield him from me. "Get away from her, Sir! It might be too dangerous! She might attack!"

"She won't attack." The Corporal flicked his eyes at Petra, looking completely bored with the situation. "She knows perfectly well that if she even _tries _to attack me, I'd have to kill her on the spot."

Eld also looked as though he wanted to argue. "But Sir, we can't just–"

"I _said _stand down." The Corporal turned and stared directly at me. "_All _of you."

It took me a few minutes to realize that he wasn't actually trying to kill me but that he was, in fact, _shielding_ me from the others and that he was snapping orders at his own squad to calm them down (_**Was that Hanji squealing and bouncing around? I can't hear anything above Petra's shouts and Eld's angry threats at me**_). When the others didn't seem inclined to calm down anytime soon, the Corporal finally let out an impatient 'tssch' sound before walking directly over to me and kneeling on the ground.

I actually thought he was going to kill me himself but then, he surprised me when he cut me loose from the lump of steaming titan flesh instead (_**I still had a giant arm attached to me for fuck's sake!**_). Ignoring my sobbed apologies, he gathered me up in his arms like he would a crying child.

I barely registered the fact that he was carrying me to his horse, placing me carefully on the saddle before settling behind me, my back against his chest. He ignored the gaping reactions of the others (_**Well probably except for Hanji, she was more preoccupied with the disintegrating titan arm on the ground**_) and tugged at his horse's reins, guiding us back towards the castle with a slow, easy trot.

About halfway there, while the rest of the Special Ops Squad trailed behind us and Major Hanji led my abandoned horse behind her, I managed to snap myself out of my daze long enough to realize awkward position I was actually in (_**Dear god, his arms are practically wrapped around me and I think my ass is pressing against his crotch!**_). I began to redden and I squirmed uncomfortably against him.

He growled at me, his arm tightening painfully around my waist in warning.

"Yeager."

I flinched at the ire in his voice and froze, glancing at him over my shoulder.

"Stop your fucking squirming or I'm going to throw you off!" He snapped and I stopped immediately (_**I swear, it was so scary the way he snapped at people that they'd probably jump off a cliff if he ordered them to**_). Still blushing and grumbling under my breath, I used the back of my hand to wipe off the drying tear stains from my face. The Corporal definitely noticed this action but he said nothing and I was forced to endure the rest of the ride back home in complete and awkward silence.

I wouldn't exactly have called riding with him 'uncomfortable'in the strictest sense of the word (_**I mean let's be honest, it wasn't exactly unpleasant**_) but the thing was – being pressed up so agonizingly _close _to Corporal Levi like this (_**With his arms wrapped snugly around my waist and my back pressed up comfortably against the firm muscles of his chest**_) was doing all sorts of things to mess with my balance and I could barely think straight, my senses flooded with the heat and scent of him.

I couldn't help it.

I leaned back against him, closed my eyes and inhaled softly.

(_**Sweet-holy-mother-of-Maria-Rose-and-Sina**_) He smelled i_ncredible_. Like a heavenly mixture of tea with just the right tinge of vanilla. I couldn't help but wonder briefly to myself if he smelled as good as he did now even after he got all sweaty and exhausted from fighting a massive horde of titans (_**Though I realized a little too late that I probably shouldn't have thought of that because now, I'm imagining Corporal Levi all hot and sweaty from battle**_) and before I knew it, my cheeks suddenly went a shade redder. It was a good thing it was windy because I definitely felt my body temperature go up. (_**I don't remember my uniform being this hot. It must have been the titan transformation a while ago**_)

"Are you okay?" He asked me after a moment when he noticed the way I was fanning my face. He turned his head to the side and flicked his impassive gaze at me. "You look a little flushed, Yeager."

"D—daijoubou, Heichou!" I assured him, hastily turning my face away to hide my blush. "I—I think it was the titan transformation, I'm exhausted. I'll be fine once we get home and I get some rest."

At least that wasn't entirely a lie – I really _was _exhausted. Fortunately, the Corporal seemed to accept my halfhearted explanation and he nodded once before turning his attention back to his horse.

"Very well." He seemed to hesitate for a few minutes before "You are excused from the rest of your chores today. When we get home, you may go directly to your room after eating dinner. _But–" _His eyes flashed warningly at me when he saw the disbelief on my face. "Make sure you take a goddamn shower before dinner because you smell like _fuck _and you have titan guts all over you." He snapped.

In spite of everything that had happened, he still seemed so goddamn intent on teaching me proper hygiene and I was surprised when I realized that I was trying hard not to smile. Truthfully, I was beginning to find his obsessive clean-freak nature a little endearing (_**I mean come on, I had accidentally turned into a titan in front of the entire squad and all he could say to me was to take a shower?!**_).

"Hai, Heichou."

I allowed my smile to linger on my face as I leaned back against him and closed my eyes, the day's exhaustion finally beginning to take its toll on me. Soon after, I felt the last of my consciousness slipping away from me and my head fell back, leaning against his shoulder as I began to drift off to sleep.

* * *

****Levi****

We were already halfway back to the castle when Eren had snapped out of her shivering, post-transformation daze long enough to realize where she was. Seriously, the brat _really _had to stop that squirming (_**Christ, she was practically grinding her ass up against me, did she not realize that?!**_)

After I snapped for her to stop and told her to take a shower when we got back (_**She was covered in titan blood and guts. Fucking disgusting, I could barely touch her.**_), she finally relaxed and after a few minutes she fell asleep against me, her head tilting sideways to rest against my shoulder.

I spent the rest of the ride back to the castle in heavy silence after that, the rest of my squad trailing behind me atop their own respective horses. Hanji did try to ride up beside me a few times (_**No doubt she wanted to throw a few more titan-related questions at Eren**_) but each time I told her to fuck off and I moved ahead of her (_**Christ, the kid was traumatized, just leave her the fuck alone, Four-Eyes!**_)

As we were nearing the castle gates and I was about to have my horse break out into a gallop, Eren began to stir in my arms again. I spared a moment to cast my hooded gaze down to stare at her.

She was still sleeping soundly, her cheek resting against my left shoulder and her soft breaths coming out in regular intervals. Her eyes were closed and there was a small frown that was marring her face. It was making her eyebrows fuse together and I wondered briefly what was causing it. When she stirred again and shifted to the side, a heartbreaking sound escaped her lips, and I understood why.

"_O–Okaasan…" _She whispered brokenly.

My eyes softened.

I reached down; adjusting her small form sideways into a more comfortable position so that both her legs were hanging from the same side of the saddle and her cheek was now cradled against my neck. I think I must have realized too late the intimate image I was projecting to the rest of the squad by doing this. Sure enough, when I looked up, they were all gaping at me like I had two fucking heads.

Normally, it was easy for me to block out people's reactions by glaring back at them with my bored, narrowed gray eyes but when I saw the way Petra was staring at me with that sad look of realization on her face, I hastily tore my gaze away. I felt _awkward_ because I knew _exactly _what was causing that look and _guilty _because I knew there was no way for me to comfort her either way. It's not like I never noticed the way Petra felt about me (_**I think she pretty much made her feelings clear since the day she first joined the Survey Corps**_) but sadly, I just could _not _find it in my heart to reciprocate.

I was never the type to willingly open myself up to intimate relationships (_**That much was pretty fucking obvious to anyone with a brain**_) , and I think Petra understood that more than anyone because she had always kept her distance, never really making a move nor demanding for anything I wasn't ready to give. Unfortunately, any relationship that could have formed between us was impossible now and I realized too late that the moment had passed and that we were both in two very different places.

I never intended to hurt her, but I could not love her the way she wanted me to either. I guess, in the end, it was just another one of those hard ass decisions that Erwin and I had to make all the time.

Clearing my throat, I ignored the knowing smirk that Hanji was giving me and glared at my squad over my shoulder. "All of you, back to the castle and get to the rest of your chores! That's an order!"

I launched my horse into a gallop, riding as fast as I could back towards the castle.

* * *

****Eren****

The squad apologized to me afterwards for their actions when we got back (_**Though I suspected that the Corporal had something to do with that**__). _Instead of the usual apology, however, they tried to redeem themselves by biting their hands the same way I would whenever I was trying to change into a titan (_**It was actually quite touching and all but seriously, they're just all fucking weird**_).

By the end of it, everything was back to normal and we were all laughing and teasing each other again. Eventually, the Corporal left us to take a shower.

Major Hanji took his place shortly afterwards and I ended up having to sit through an incredibly long (_**Though not in any way boring – Major Hanji sure knew how to liven up a lecture with the most interesting hand gestures**_) discussion about her fascination with titans. By the time she was finished and she had gone back to her own office to record that afternoon's events in her research log, it was almost 8PM and I automatically found myself heading outside the castle to collect Corporal Levi's clothes.

Despite the Corporal having excused me from my chores that evening, I still brought them up to his room, mainly because I had gotten so used to bringing him his laundry every night anyway (_**I'm actually kind of suspicious now. Maybe that had been his intention all along – to get me used to so much chores that I'd start cleaning even in my sleep!**_). Besides, I still kind of felt as though I really owed it to him to apologize for what happened that day and I wanted to talk to him before he went to sleep.

He looked surprised to see me as I walked into his office, but before he could say anything, I set the laundry basket back down, removed my shoes and stashed them on the rack beside the doors. His expression seemed to soften instantly at that and his eyes warmed as he cast his gaze on me. I gave him a small smile before I reached out, took the alcohol from his desk and poured it over my hands and feet.

"I thought I already told you that you were excused from your evening chores today, brat."

He was still watching me, though there was a hint of fondness mixed into the admonishing look on his face.

"Hai, Heichou. There just wasn't anything for me to do tonight and I had gotten so used to my chores that I figured I'd do them anyway. Besides–"

I gave him a particularly cheeky smile and shrugged.

"–I remembered that you had just gotten back from Wall Sina this morning and I realized that you'd probably run out of clean clothes by now." "Not to mention that all your dirty laundry must have piled up while you were there." I paused and I felt my heart skip when I saw the way he was looking at me. (_**Why is he looking at me with that soft expression on his face? I'm not used to it!**_)

"Um…Sir?"

"I _could_ use with a fresh batch of clothes." Corporal Levi agreed reluctantly after a few moments of awkward silence. He continued to stare intently at me, however, and I scuffed my feet a few times against the floor, waiting for him when I noticed that he seemed to want to say something else.

"I guess you can place the clothes back in my dresser–" He finally began but I cut him off.

"Ah but after I iron them out first!" I chimed, meeting his surprised expression with a grin.

He stared at me again, obviously stunned at my playfulness and for a minute, I was almost afraid that he was going to hurl his shoe right at my face (_**Holy hell Yeager, you're not supposed to talk to your Commanding Officer like that – especially if he's Corporal Levi!**_) but then, he actually managed to surprise me even further when he shook his head at me and rewarded me with an amused smirk.

"You brat." He scoffed under his breath. "You're getting way too snarky for your own good."

"I know, right?" I laughed at his reaction.

He let out a snort at that and I told myself to ignore the affectionate look in his eyes as I made my way over to his bedroom and began ironing out his clothes on his bed. Afterwards, when I finished placing his clothes back in their respective order inside his dresser, I made my way to his suitcase behind his desk. Without even waiting for him to say anything (_**He had gone back to reading his reports anyway**_), I opened his suitcase up, rifled carefully through its contents and collected his used clothes (_**All of them were neatly folded and every single one still smelled good – not that I actually sniffed them or anything!).**_Then I placed them one by one inside the now empty laundry basket.

When I was finished and I lifted my head up to glance at him a few minutes later, I saw that he was watching me again, a smile tugging on his lips.

"Careful, Yeager." He drawled just as I began to sweep the floors of his office. "You don't want to make me too dependent on you. Otherwise, I may just give you even more chores." He teased.

"I wouldn't mind, Sir." I assured him (_**What the hell was I talking about? I don't think I could handle anymore!**_), looking up and smiling at his bored expression. "At least it'll help keep me busy."

"Hmm." He fell silent at that and he withdrew his gaze again, lifting his attention off me and going back to his reading. As he did this, I couldn't help but wonder briefly to myself what it was about Corporal Levi that he was the only one who didn't seem to be afraid of dropping his guard completely around me.

I mean, I lost control and ended up transforming into a titan in front of him (_**Well not really a full titan, more like a dismembered titan arm**_) and he _still _chose to defend me against them. He even took it upon himself to carry me on his horse back to the castle.

(_**Why though? Does that mean he really trusts me more than the others do?**_)

I cast that ridiculous notion aside and shook my head furiously at myself. (_**Stop it! It's pointless to try and figure out somebody who didn't have more than one facial expression to begin with**_.)

Still, that didn't mean I shouldn't thank him for what he had done for me that afternoon.

"Levi-Heichou?"

* * *

****Levi****

She was adorable.

She was so _fucking _sweet and naïve and trusting and just so _fucking _adorable.

My god, the simple way she could put such thought and attention in her actions (_**Like how she'd remembered that I'd just gotten back from Wall Sina and that I probably wouldn't have any fresh clothes left because all my laundry had piled up while I was there**_) was throwing me completely off my guard and for the life of me, I had absolutely no clue how I was supposed to respond to her actions.

It wasn't like I could just order her to walk over to me so I could yank her into my arms (_**Or lap, depending on how she'd respond**_) and kiss that smile right off her youthful face but then again, I had to keep reminding myself that not only was she just _fifteen-years-old _but she was also my _subordinate _and I was supposed to be looking out for her, not fucking fantasizing about tasting her goddamn mouth.

I mean, Christ, we only just recruited the little brat (_**When was it? 3 weeks? A month ago?!**_) and already, having her around me all the time was driving me insane and giving me a massive headache. Though, truth be told, I couldn't really blame her – she probably had no idea that by parading herself around me the way she did all the time, she was (_**Inadvertently**_) seducing her commanding officer.

"Levi-Heichou?"

I managed to snap myself out of my dazed thoughts long enough to look up at her.

"I just wanted to apologize for what happened this afternoon. Also–"

She bit her lip and too late, my half-lidded eyes had flicked down to stare at her mouth.

"–I wanted to…_thank _you, Sir."

I froze at the choked-up sound of her voice and I lifted my eyes from her lips to her eyes.

"I know that…I'm only alive right now because…you stopped them." She whispered.

From the look on her face, I had already figured out what she was struggling to say.

She continued. "I know that everyone still thinks my being here is a big threat to humanity but I just – I never realized that they could actually all be afraid too. I didn't think about it that way. I guess I just thought that everything would be alright. And then they all turned their blades on me and I just–"

She paused again and lifted her gaze slowly until her eyes were staring straight into mine.

"They would have killed me without a thought." She whispered. "They don't trust me."

I loathed to tell her the truth (_**Not when she was looking at me like this with such a trusting expression on her face**_) but I knew it had to be done. We were in the middle of a war, and it wouldn't do well for either me _or _Eren if I babied her – she had to hear the truth straight from my own mouth.

"Of course they don't."

She blinked a couple of times and stared at me, my words having stunned her into silence.

"S–Sir?" She croaked out, and I tore my gaze away from the crestfallen look on her face.

"That's precisely why I chose them in the first place." I told her, and afterwards, I could do nothing but watch as the light in those bright green eyes of hers slowly began to dim with realization.

My mistake was that I expected Eren, a young girl who was barely into her adulthood, to fully understand the real meaning behind what I had just said. Of _course _she didn't, and when she did nothing for the next few minutes but stare at the floor with a look of anger and betrayal on her face, I sighed.

"It's not that they don't care about you, Eren." I added, making her look up again and stare at me with wide, glassy eyes. "They don't want to see you hurt any more than I do. But they're _soldiers_ – the best there are – and when it comes down to it, they'll do what they're trained to do to survive."

She had fallen silent again, and I noticed that a tear had escaped her eye and was rolling down her cheek. The deed was done, however, and I had said all that needed to be said – all she needed to understand about me and about the Survey Corps – And I had no intention of hurting her any more than I had to.

"Don't expect them to regret it, Eren."

She fell silent at that, and it took her a few seconds before she was able to answer me with a shaky nod to show me that she had understood. Afterwards, just as she was about to turn around and walk back out of my office with the laundry basket in her arms, I called her name again, causing her to stop just as she was reaching for the doorknob.

"Eren."

She flinched at the sound of my voice (_**That reaction hurt me more than it should have**_) but she managed to glance up again to meet my eyes, trying to mask the hurt on her face with a forced smile.

"Hai, Heichou?" She answered softly.

I hesitated, knowing full well that what I was about to do could inevitably bridge more than a few meters of the distance I had established between us, but then I realized that I couldn't care less.

Sighing, I reached down and pulled open the drawer underneath my desk.

"I have something for you."

* * *

**Notes: **Whoops. Sorry for that! The chapter was getting too long so I had to cut it at that. Ehehe. More to come soon, I promise. So…Any guesses on what Levi could possibly be giving to Eren? I'll even promise to write out a scene request from the first person who gets it right! :D

"_Daijoubou"_ – Japanese equivalent of saying "It's fine" or "It's alright"

"_Okaasan" – _Mother

Comments and feedback are always welcome! :D


	5. Chocolate-Coated Feelings

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **Aww…Nobody was able to guess correctly what Levi's about to give Eren. Well, I would think the title pretty much says it all. *giggle* Many thanks for the reviews and comments, you guys! I really hope you're enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I absolutely lovethis pairing! :D

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Chocolate-Coated Feelings**

****Levi****

"I have something for you."

She was still staring at me and there was such a dubious expression on her face that I almost chuckled (_**She looks as though she's expecting to be hanged**_).

When it didn't appear as though she was going to say anything anytime soon, I sighed and reached into my drawer, pulling out the small, rectangular package I had purchased from Wall Sina the day before. It took me a few minutes to extract it fully from its packaging (_**I hate buying anything from Wall Sina, I swear. Every single fucking one of the shops in their cities use so much paper in wrapping all their shit, it was almost ridiculous! Fucking waste.**_). Afterwards, I laid it back down on the table and looked up, raising an eyebrow pointedly at her.

"Well?" A smirk quirked at the corner of my lips as I watched her stunned reaction. "I'm not going to bite you, Eren. Now get your ass back over here and take it, you little brat." I teased her lightly.

"O–oh!"

Slowly (_**Christ, what was with her? It's not like I was going to disappear in front of her if she walked toward me too fast**_), she made her way towards me, an endearing flush on her youthful face. Finally, she lowered herself onto the chair in front of my table and very slowly reached out toward it. When a reluctant chuckle escaped my lips, she retracted her hand away in shock and blinked up at me.

"What is it?" She asked.

Eren flicked her bright eyes back and forth between me and my desk a couple of times.

It took all of my self-restraint to keep a bored expression on my face as I answered her.

"A slab of preserved titan flesh."

She let out a sharp gasp and almost tipped her chair backwards in her haste to get away from me but I was already too far gone at this point. I _laughed. _I actually burst into genuine, heaving laughter as I watched her (_**She looked completely flustered and flabbergasted, the poor kid**_). I couldn't help it.

I had never seen her act so terrified of something so completely harmless.

"Th–that wasn't funny, Heichou!" She stammered out weakly, managing a nervous laugh.

She looked more than a little embarrassed at my reaction and I instantly felt bad for teasing her. I didn't bother apologizing though and instead, I gestured to my desk again and gave her a wry grin.

"It's _chocolate_."

I wasn't sure if there had been something in what I just said – but as soon as the word "Chocolate" had left my lips, Eren looked _stunned. (__**Christ, it was almost as though I had flipped on a goddamn light switch on her face**_). Her large green eyes were suddenly _glowing _and her expression had morphed completely into a mixture of such awe, delight, and pure unadulterated child-like happiness.

She looked so fucking beautiful when she was this happy.

And damn it, I almost smiled at her again.

* * *

****Eren****

He bought me chocolate.

(_**Sweet-Holy-Mother-of-All-Things-Titan**_) Corporal Levi, _m_y _childhood hero of all time, _actually bought me _chocolate. _I couldn't help myself – a wave of giddiness swept over me (_**I was barely able to keep myself from bouncing around the room from sheer joy**_) and to my horror, my eyes went all glassy – thick, fat tears threatening to spill down my flushed cheeks. (_**And just my luck, he'd notice that instantly**_) The warmth in his eyes vanished at once, only to be replaced with a startled look of alarm.

"What's wrong?" He asked sharply.

I couldn't answer him at first.

I once used to convince myself that chocolate wasn't _real _to make myself feel better.

As far back as I could recall, I remembered that the only reason I had found out about the highly-coveted (_**and no doubt expensive**__) _mixture of milk and sugar (_**otherwise known as that heavenly bar in front of me called "Chocolate"**_) was through some of the richer kids of my village – mainly, those whose parents could travel in and out of Wall Sina as much as they pleased. I didn't understand the exact details back then (_**I was five at the time**_), but I _did _know the reason chocolate was so expensive and why it was only made available to the residents of Wall Sina. It was because the supply of the key ingredient to make it – _Cacao beans_ – was very limited. In fact, the only known location they could find Cacao beans was well beyond the Walls of the city. It took months – sometimes _years _– before a new supply of Cacao beans even made it beyond the walls, and even then, it wasn't given to just anyone.

Then, for my 10th birthday, I remember that my father had promised to bring me back a bar of chocolate when he returned from Wall Sina for an important meeting. Unfortunately, that had been right before Wall Maria was breached. I never got the chance to talk to my father again after that day.

I didn't even know where he was now, let alone if he was still alive or even looking for me.

My eyes suddenly dimmed at that, and before I realized it, my thoughts were drifting back towards my mother – to that fateful day she was eaten by a titan right in front of me – and I felt as though a sharp knife had twisted in my gut. Without realizing it, my hands began to clench and my eyes were already glassy with tears. My fingers wrapped gently around the chocolate bar lying on the table.

That was when I remembered Corporal Levi was still waiting for me to say something.

"Th–thank you."

I think my voice must have come out all raspy because Corporal Levi was giving me a strange look (_**Well you almost burst into tears in front of him for what he must probably see as a normal gift for anyone else, idiot!**_). Clearing my throat, I forced myself to meet his eyes and gave him a shaky smile.

"Gomen-nasai, Heichou. It's just that…This is the first time I've ever seen a chocolate bar." I laughed weakly and ducked my head sheepishly behind my hand. "My father did promise to bring me back one for my tenth birthday. But then….The breach on Wall Maria happened and…Well now I don't–"

I didn't bother finishing my sentence.

From the look on the Corporal's face, I knew he understood because he didn't press me any further, merely staring at me with that same impassive expression. Strangely, the constant lack of emotion on his face comforted me. I was sure that anyone else would have begun to pity me by now.

It was a long moment before either of us actually spoke again (_**The silence was surprisingly comforting**_) but eventually, I couldn't help it anymore and I stared at him again, giving him a small smile.

"Did _you _used to eat a lot of chocolate when you were a kid, Heichou?"

The question had already slipped out of my mouth just as I realized how it sounded.

He looked surprised at first (_**Probably because it was a stupid and incredibly juvenile thing to ask!**_) but I couldn't help it. There was a nagging part of me that really wanted to know more about him.

Thankfully enough, he didn't seem to mind.

"No."

I couldn't help but look up at the strange tone of his voice (_**Not sure – is he mad at me or something?**_), watching as he leaned back against his chair and stared at me through hooded gray eyes.

"Because I used to live on the streets of the capital when I was a kid."

My face must have shown the shock I felt at his words (_**I mean hell, I hadn't expected him to say something like that at all!**_) because his expression suddenly shuttered and his eyes narrowed as he studied my reaction. "Actually, let me put that more bluntly." He scoffed, as though disgusted with himself, and shook his head.

"I was a street kid – _or _criminal – depends on how you want to look at it."

"I don't have any memory of my parents, not even sure if I ever _had _a family to begin with. I was basically all alone growing up." His lips began to curl upwards into a self-depreciating sneer. "Of course, given that kind of set up, I didn't have any money at all so obviously, I also didn't have access to a lot of food." He flashed a wry smirk at me. "Let alone something as expensive and extravagant as _chocolate._"

I had absolutely no idea why he was telling me all this, but I knew that I wanted to know more.

"How did you end up on the streets?" I asked him softly.

"I was _born _there." He admitted, and I noticed that he was purposely avoiding my eyes.

"How did you survive?" I asked again, careful to filter out any kind of emotion from my voice.

He shrugged in response to that. "You learn to adapt to it, I suppose. I was a pretty good thief. When I was a kid, I stole _food_ mostly – just enough to get myself by. Eventually, I began to steal more expensive things – gold, silver, stolen cargo. Things I could sell and earn money from." He explained.

When I couldn't think of a response to that, he went on.

"I got pretty good at it too. Well, I mean…Good enough so that I made quite a reputation for myself in all the right – _or wrong _– circles." His jaw clenched and he looked almost bothered with his admissions. "I became so good at stealing all sorts of shit that soon, crime rings were commissioning me to steal high-grade military weapons for some really big, politically-underground names in the capital."

"You must have attracted a lot of attention." I spoke quietly.

"I did."

There was finality in his voice so I figured he wasn't going to say anything more regarding that.

"Anyway." He glanced back up from his desk and gave me a grim look. "That was when I met Erwin. He wasn't a Commander back then, but already he was pretty goddamn influential in the entire fucking legion. He managed to drag me into the Survey Corps and gave me a fancy title." He arched an eyebrow at me. "So here I am, babysitting and giving chocolate to a snarky, nosy little brat." He quipped.

I was so stunned by his words that I let out a nervous giggle.

His lips twitched slightly at my reaction. "Any more questions for me, Yeager?"

There was no anger in his voice – quite the opposite really. He looked amused at my curiosity more than anything else (_**At least I hope he's amused. With him, I can never really tell one emotion from the other!**_). To fill the awkward silence, I blurted out the next stupid question that came to mind.

"Do you like chocolate, Heichou?" I asked, smiling sheepishly up at him.

"No." His said flatly, his face reverting to its usual bored expression. "Too fucking sweet."

I couldn't help it – I _laughed _(_**More like 'giggled' but that's not the point and I wasn't going to admit that to anyone!**_). There was just such a blatant, unabashed honesty to his voice that it was quite impossible _not _to laugh, if only because he just never seemed to realize how crude he was sometimes.

It was strangely _endearing_.

When he stared at me, clearly startled at my reaction, I stopped. (_**Yeah, I should probably thank him and get out of here before he realizes that I'm laughing at him and decides to hurl his shoe at me**_)

"Anyway, I uh…Thank you again, Heichou." Carefully tucking the bar of chocolate in my pocket, I gave him another shy smile and began backing towards the door. He was still staring intently at me.

"I should probably head back to my room now–"

"I can bring you more next time…If you like."

It took me a few seconds to fully process what he said. Even then, I couldn't tell at first whether he was serious or not because he had mentioned it so casually (_**I mean hell, you don't just blurt out shit like that while you're in the middle of rearranging stacks of reports on your desk! What the hell was he thinking?!**_) but apparently, he was because he was staring at me again, waiting for my response.

"I—uh—" A flush began to color my cheeks and it took awhile before I could find my voice.

He began to hesitate a bit when he saw my reaction (_**Oh god I took too long, is he going to take back his offer?**_) but then he said, "Bring you more chocolate, I mean. The next time I go to Wall Sina."

The blush on my face darkened as I managed to stammer out my response.

"I–I'd like that, Heichou."

Instead of answering, he shrugged nonchalantly and returned to his reading.

"Tssch. Now get the hell out of my office, you damn brat."

I was smiling again as I finally walked out of his office, closing the doors quietly behind me.

* * *

Up until that afternoon's 3DMG training session, I had always considered myself a pretty damn good soldier.

Well at least I _thought _I was good enough since I _did_ earn a place in the top ten of the 104th trainee squad (_**It took me fifteen minutes to convince Eld and Gunther that I had placed 5**__**th**__** in my class. Those assholes, I swear!**_) so never in my wildest dreams could I have anticipated this _humbling _moment.

Compared to the rest of the Special Ops Squad… I _sucked._

It wasn't just that my maneuvering skills were slow as hell when I compared myself to them (_**And by them, I wasn't going to count Corporal Levi because holy hell. If I compared my maneuvering skills to his, I might as well just hang up my swords and considering dropping out of the fucking military**_) but I also tired myself out much _faster _than the others – and that really, _really_ frustrated me.

I knew that Corporal Levi had already ordered the squad to slow down a bit that day so that I could adjust to their pace but even _then _I could barely keep up and it was _humiliating _for me that Corporal Levi had to order the squad to stop every fifteen minutes just so I could catch up to them. I noticed that at some point, Eld and Gunther were getting irritated with my slowness (_**Screw them then, who cares what they think?!**_). Unfortunately, I couldn't gauge the blank expression on the Corporal's face so I had no idea whether he was getting irritated with me as well (_**Wouldn't be surprised if he was**_).

Near the end of the training session (_**I was ready to call it a day then – Sweet Maria, my heart was palpitating so fast that it's going to explode out of my chest!**_), Auruo bent down over to where I was crouched on the ground and aimed a kick at me, causing me to curse loudly and jump up to my feet.

"Auruo!" Petra (_**I swear, I loved that girl**_) chastised sharply, frowning at him but he ignored her.

"The hell!" I snapped at him as I straightened, rubbing the sore spot at my side.

"Damn _brat_!" Auruo was growling again and the expression he was trying to give me _vaguely _resembled Corporal Levi's intimidating glare (_**The key word there being 'vaguely'**_) "If this was all real and we had to wait for you all the time, we'd all have gotten eaten by titans already!" He complained.

"Who asked _you?!_" I growled back as I stomped on his foot.

"You brat!" He grabbed hold of my robes, jostling me in his anger. "I'm going to—"

"Auruo!" Petra interrupted him again, cutting him off with a shocked glare. "Stop it! Eren's still adjusting; she just got recruited into the team! She's the most inexperienced among all of us – if anything, you should be _helping _her! Not making fun of her like that!" She scolded him, looking angry.

"But I—she—" Auruo's eyes widened as he stared at her, trying in vain to think of a response but in the end, he said nothing. (_**I'm not surprised. The guy could barely walk straight, let alone put two brain cells together**_) "I cant help it! At this rate, we're going to be training forever!" He groaned.

"Screw you, stink-brain!" I scowled (_**Oh great, are we resorting to name-calling now? Real mature**_). "You should talk, it's not like you were way ahead of me yourself!" I challenged him huffily.

"Take that back, you brat!" Auruo's eyes blazed in affronted denial. "I swear, I can be speeding off in front of you so fast that the only thing you'll feel is the wind trail I leave behind!" He bragged.

"Oh right." I pretended to make a face (_**Was that Eld and Petra grinning at us?**_) "Don't remind me. I swear, part of the reason it sucked being behind you was because of your 'wind-trail'." I mocked.

The others (_**Save for Corporal Levi, he just looked bored – not like that makes a difference, he always looks bored anyway**_) were muffling their laughter at this point, hastily looking away from us.

Auruo's face went completely red and he sputtered incoherently at me.

"So what are you implying, you cocky little kid?!"

"I wasn't 'implying' anything!" I glowered at him. "And don't call me a 'cocky little kid'!"

"Yeager."

Auruo and I froze in the middle of raising our fists at one another and looked up, our eyes growing wide when we realized that Corporal Levi had walked right up to us, his dark gray eyes flicking back and forth between our forms before deciding to rest on my flustered expression. I was cringing at him, my lower lip wedged nervously between my teeth as I waited for him to speak. (_**Holy hell, holy hell, holy hell! I knew he looked pissed at me a while ago – was it because I was so slow?! I mean I couldn't help it, it's been so long since I practiced maneuvering again! But that was his fault! He's the one who has me do nothing but clean all day!**_) Before I realized it, my features began to scrunch into a scowl.

"Heichou?"

As usual, the Corporal's unnervingly bland expression gave absolutely nothing away.

He arched an eyebrow before nodding me forward towards Auruo again. "Every member of _my _squad can get from one point to the next of this training obstacle in strictly _sixty seconds _or less. As it stands, aside from you, Auruo is the slowest – barely making it at 59 seconds." (_**I heard Auruo choking on his own spit behind me and I couldn't help but smirk to myself**_) The Corporal went on. "I want you to race him to that next position a few yards away." When he saw my flabbergasted expression (_**I mean seriously?! He's going to make me race Auruo in front of everyone?!**_), he then added harshly. "If you don't beat him in 59 seconds, or _less _than that, shitty brat, I will personally hurl you at the titans myself."

"S—Sir?" I blinked a couple of times at him, not sure if I had heard him correctly.

"_Every _member of my squad can handle themselves well using their maneuvering gear." He repeated carefully. "I do not want someone so fucking _weak _on my team, Yeager!" He snapped harshly.

His expression hardened in challenge. Meanwhile, I had to fight down the hurt, angry flush that was rising into my cheeks (_**Is he calling me weak?! I thought that after he went through all that trouble in buying me chocolate before that he was finally going to ease up on me! Why is he humiliating me now in front of everyone like this? Does he take pleasure in hurting me?!**_). I realized my fingers were trembling as I curled them into a fist, straining wildly to keep myself from losing my legendary temper.

"I am _not _weak, Sir." I whispered back at him in quiet indignation.

"Then _prove _it!" He growled, his gray eyes taunting me as they burned straight into mine.

"Prove to me that you can handle your own and that you're not just a fucking liability to _me _or to my squad!"

Slowly, I tore my blazing green eyes from the Corporal and glared at Auruo's smirking face. (_**He wanted me to prove that I belonged to his squad? I'll fucking prove it then!**_) I sank my nails into my fist.

"Wakarimashita."

* * *

****Levi****

She was mad at me.

I knew she was.

It was so fucking obvious, really. (_**She might as well have it stamped on her forehead!**_)

I noticed it in the way she positively refused to meet my eyes during mealtimes with the squad for several days in a row now. She had actually started the whole act right after we had gotten back from that maneuvering session last week_**. **_(_**Fucking hell, if I had known she'd be so goddamn sensitive about my forcing her to race with Auruo by taunting her in front of everyone, I wouldn't have bothered! Such a goddamn childish little brat!**_) I had actually thought that I had made my underlying intentions clear enough with what I was doing (_**At least it was clear enough to everyone else – except for certain 15-year-old kids who didn't know any better!**_).

I was trying to drive my point across – that she needed to get better at maneuvering because otherwise, those fucking titans will swallow her alive.

Well, at least that was the point I had _wanted _to get across – she didn't see it that way.

Halfway through the race, Eren had (_**Christ, I probably should have expected it anyway**_) lost her patience at the way Auruo kept shouting out snide comments at her that the brat actually forgot about the race altogether. Instead, she let out a high-pitched screech of anger and launched herself at Auruo instead, slamming into him in mid-air and tackling the taller, much larger soldier back to the ground. Afterwards, as the rest of us watched in stunned shock, Eren had proceeded to spar with Auruo on the ground. Not surprisingly (_**I remembered from her military record that Eren had placed first in her batch in hand-to-hand combat**_), she beat him easily before she shot back up into the air and then proceeded to finish the race. She finished in exactly 58 seconds. Not bad for an ill-tempered, obnoxious little brat.

However, as we were heading back home that day, I noticed that Eren was being surprisingly quiet. Usually, the brat would be bouncing up and down, telling me how much she loved training and flooding my ears with nonsensical stories about how, when she was younger, she used to pretend that she was part of the Survey Corp. She'd play me while her other friend – I forgot the name – used to play Erwin. (_**Never, in a million years, would I admit to her that was kind of flattering and adorable**_).

When I mentioned that she was quiet and asked her if she was alright (_**I had assumed that race with Auruo had taken a lot out of her and drained her of her usual energy**_), Eren had just glowered at me again and, without another word, she whipped around and stalked off angrily towards the castle.

I had absolutely no idea what the flying fuck was that brat's problem.

In the next few days, I began to feel _irritated – _especially when she continued to ignore me, acting as though I wasn't even in the same damn room. She'd proceed with her usual chores everyday, sure, but she would completely avoid looking at me as she did, and that really, _really _got on my nerves.

I wasn't exactly sure why having Eren mad at me like this bothered me so much (_**Hell, I was used to having people mad at me all the time. I mean fuck that, a lot of them even wanted to kill me**_) but Christ, I realized I really did not _like _Eren treating me this way. I wasn't even sure if I understood why.

Maybe it was because I had grown quite _used _to having her full attention (_**I would never admit to anyone that I loved having those adoring green eyes on me, staring at me with such openness and trust**_), or maybe it was because I just liked having her stare at me, so I had a good reason to stare back.

She was such a sight for sore eyes and more often that not, Erwin or Mike had to stomp on my foot a couple of times in the food hall whenever my attention wandered off each time I stared at Eren. I wondered if she would mind it if I ran my fingers through those locks of hers, or if she would think me a dirty old man if I pulled her onto my lap and buried my lips against hers, tasting her soft, sweet mouth.

I mean, I knew that I was a bit harsh on her during that training session last week (_**Christ, I was like that with everyone! I thought the brat knew that by now?!**_) but hell – when I look back now, I hadn't really said anything to her that she didn't need to know. In fact, _everything _I had told her that day, I had said because I was _worried _about her and because I didn't fucking want her to die out there.

Surely, that brat must have realized that by now.

If she didn't, well then goddamn it and goddamn her.

Still, I was really getting tired of this whole cat-and-mouse game she's been trying to play with me this week and truth be told, I was more than fucking _pissed. _(_**I mean, like hell, I'm a fully-grown man – I wasn't used to playing mind games with fucking emotional teenagers like this!**_). Frankly, I just wanted the brat to be honest with me. I wanted her to tell me upfront why she felt that she had the right to be mad. I _was _appointed as her guardian after all so she was supposed to tell me these things.

I just hoped that, by expecting an innocent and naive fifteen-year-old girl to act like a mature adult about resolving this issue by talking it out, I wouldn't be giving her more credit than she deserved.

I guess I was just going to have to trust her on that.

So I decided to confront Eren after she had finished all her chores that night.

In hindsight, I suppose I _was_ probablybeing a bit _too _invasive when I just waltzed right into her dungeon that night (_**I think it was a little past midnight by then, I couldn't really be sure**_). Still, after I stopped directly in front of her and nudged her awake, I really wasn't expecting her to react that way.

She screamed.

* * *

****Eren****

What. The. _Fuck. _

What the hell was Humanity's Scariest (_**I mean Strongest!)**_ Soldier doing in my room?!

It was the goddamn middle of the night and here I was, all tucked in and chained up to my bed (_**Like the obedient little dangerous titan that I was**_) and Corporal Levi decides to act like some creepy pervert by prancing into my room and scaring me half to death (_**Look at him – he doesn't look in the least bit sorry at all for scaring me like that, the jerk! I almost had a heart attack!**_) I fumed to myself.

"Stop screaming, brat! You'll wake the entire castle!" He kicked at me again. "Fucking irritating."

Still shaking slightly, I swallowed the rest of my choked-up scream (_**He's the one looming over an innocent girl's bed past 12AM and he has the nerve to say that 'I'm' the one who's irritating?!**_) and glared back at him, my features scrunching up into an unwelcoming scowl. He was standing across from me, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his bored gray eyes peering down at my form.

It took a few seconds for me to remember that I had worn my sheer set of pajamas that night and that he was probably getting an eyeful (_**Did his gaze just sweep down over my body?!**_) so I scowled at him even more and squirmed around a bit so that I was back under the blankets. He smirked at that.

"H—Heichou!" I blushed in horror, yanking my gaze away and pulling against my chains as I turned to the side, refusing to meet his eyes. "It's the middle of the night, what are you doing in here?!"

He ignored my reaction and continued to stare impassively at me (_**Right. Like him being in my room at this time of night wasn't fucking weird or creepy at all**_) and crossed one ankle over the other.

The bluntness of his next question stunned me into silence.

"Why are you mad at me?"

Forgetting all about my resolve to avoid his eyes (_**Last I checked, the plan was to ignore him completely but I couldn't really do that if he was in my goddamn room!**_), my gaze snapped to his bored, half-lidded expression. I gaped wordlessly at him, feeling all of my blood drain out of my face.

"Sir?!" I blurted out, staring at him like he had just turned into a goddamn 20-meter titan.

Apparently, that was the wrong response because Corporal Levi looked even more annoyed at my words. He let out an irritated 'tssch' before narrowing his eyes and glaring moodily out the window.

"I _asked _why you were mad at me, _brat._" He drawled again after a few moments (_**I could have sworn he sounded almost huffy when he said that, but I would never risk my life to point that out**_). "You've been ignoring me for almost a week. I'm your Commanding Officer, I have a right to know why."

"I—I just…I ah—"

I heard his question perfectly and I understood the reason behind why he would ask it (_**I have been kind of distancing myself from him this past week, but it wasn't because I was mad. Well, not entirely at least. It's because I was embarrassed! He said so himself – he saw me as 'weak' and a 'liability' to his squad, how was I supposed to react?! I couldn't even look him in the eye anymore!**_).

At first, I almost opted to not say anything (_**Maybe if I continued to stammer, he'd let me get away with not answering his question**_). Unfortunately, he looked as though he wasn't about to let the subject drop anytime soon so I sighed and lowered my gaze, staring at my blankets in embarrassment.

"I wasn't mad at you, Heichou." I admitted quietly, finally looking up at him and returning his stern expression with a broken smile. "I know I've said this to you before…But…You're my hero. I could never stay mad at you." I added softly (_**Goddamn it, am I blushing again?! It's like there's no on-off switch to this thing!**_) . His expression lost its hardness at that but he blinked at me, looking confused.

Ignoring his reaction, I took a deep breath and buried my nails into my palms. "I was just…_humiliated…_and hurt…I guess. Everything you said to me last week was true. I _am _still so weak and I think it absolutely _sucks _that after all my training, I'm still a liability to everyone – especially to you."

I noticed the way his expression shifted again and slowly, I brought my gaze back up, thinking he pitied me and that he was going to console me about what I just said. I was _stunned_, however, when I saw that instead of softening at my words, Corporal Levi's bored expression had just _hardened_ again_._

His next response forced me into another round of shocked silence.

"You expect me to apologize for that or something, Yeager?" He asked bluntly.

My jaw dropped open and I gaped at him, my voice coming out as a choked gasp.

"Sir?!"

"What do you want then? A fucking hug?" He scoffed, his eyes narrowed as he sneered at me.

"N—no, Sir! I don't! But I just—" I struggled to string a single sentence together (_**What the fuck is with all this stammering?! Pull yourself together!**_) "I wasn't expecting anything from you! I just—"

"Let's get one thing straight, brat." He interrupted me sharply, cutting through my protests. "Like I said, I am your Commanding Officer – it is my _job _to look out for you. To train your skinny ass and to make sure that you don't _fucking _die." He finally straightened from where he was leaning against the dungeon wall and walked toward me, causing me to squirm nervously. (_**Crap, crap, crap! He's moving closer, what is he going to do – does he have a sword?! He doesn't, thank Maria! Wait, why is he leaning down – Oh my god!**_) I held back a startled gasp when he sat down on the edge of my bed and leaned over me, his hooded eyes burning into mine and his lips just mere _inches _away from my own. (_**Oh god, oh god, oh god, he's too close! I can smell him and he smells so goddamn good oh god oh god!**_)

"Listen closely, you little shit." The Corporal either ignored or didn't notice my reaction, and he just kept on talking. "What _you _have to understand is that this isn't a goddamn _game _to me. We're in the middle of a _war _here, and I don't have the time to teach you all this _gently! _Do you understand?!"

I opened my mouth to answer him (_**That yes! I did understand so could he please get off me now?!**_) but he continued. "When we're out there – past this castle, past this city, past Wall Rose – every single tactic, every strategy, every move – hell, every goddamn counterattack you _think _you may have mastered during your training days will count for _shit._" Nodding frantically at him, I tried to turn my face away but he wasn't having any of it. He grabbed my chin roughly and forced me to look back at him.

Blinking rapidly, I stared into his expression with wide green eyes as he went on. "Out there, everything and _anything _can happen. You have to cover all your tracks and be the absolute best – the smartest, strongest, the fucking _fastest. _Being left behind is not even an option; you have to be the best that you can fucking be. Trust me, Eren." He surprised me with the soft way he had spoken my name.

"When you're out there – when you're fighting for your goddamn life, things are very different. Even a second – a single goddamn _second _you waste can mean the difference between life or death."

His fingers tightened around my chin again and I almost gasped when he bent his head down lower so that his lips were barely inches away from grazing the outer lobe of my ear. "So you'll have to excuse me, Yeager, because I'll do what I need to do to make sure that you don't fucking get yourself killed. You little _brat._" His whisper sounded harsh against my ear and his voice was blunt and sarcastic, but this time, I shuddered when I felt the underlying emotion that was hidden behind his cold words.

It was so damn obvious; I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it before.

He cared about me.

Corporal Levi actually _cared_ about me.

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes but there it was – it was impossible not to recognize the look in his eyes. He actually _cared _about me. He was _concerned _about me, he was _worried _about my safety and (_**Dear god, he actually cared about me!**_) it took all of the self-control I had to not burst out crying, wrap my arms around him and yank him into a tight, bone-crushing hug (_**Thankfully my chains prevented me from doing so, he probably wouldn't have liked that at all**_)

Unfortunately, before I could think of a proper response to what he had said, he had already let go of my chin and stood up sharply from the bed, making his way back out of the room. Just as he was reaching for the doorknob, however, I finally snapped myself out of my daze and I called out to him.

"Levi."

My heart skipped when I realized how much I liked saying his name. Strangely, he didn't seem to mind the blatant act of insubordination as he stared at me, calming me with his bored, half-lidded gaze.

I stared directly into his eyes, wanting to let him know, through my expression alone, that I understood everything that he wanted me to and that I had taken all of his words straight to the heart.

"I understand now, Heichou." I whispered softly, unable to look away from his face. "You were looking out for me, and I was being an immature little brat about it. But I understand now." I told him.

When he didn't say anything, I swallowed and stared intently into his harsh gray eyes.

"Gomen-nasai."

Strangely, it took a moment for him to process my words but as soon as the he did, the angry lines in his expression began to soften and he stared at me again. The disbelief on his face was obvious, almost as if he couldn't believe I actually understood him. Unfortunately, before I got the chance to say anything else, he turned around and strode out of the room, slamming the door shut loudly behind him.

* * *

**Notes: **Mikasa, Armin, and the other members of the 104th trainee squad will finally arrive in the next chapter. Oh what fun and mayhem I foresee. *evil smile*

"_Wakarimashita"_ – Understood

Oh yeah, I'd like to apologize if I might be getting some canon details wrong (like Levi's past for one), I'm not that much of an expert on the manga so you'll have to excuse me. That won't be the focus of this story anyway, so I won't dwell too much on stuff like that. I did tag this as a Semi-AU fic, after all. :D

Comments and feedback are welcome! :D


	6. Green-Eyed Monster

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **And the green-eyed monster (and take note, I don't mean Eren) finally makes an appearance! Just a fair warning - there's a teeny bit of Jean/FemEren and Levi/Petra (both one-sided) in this chapter. Lastly, just to remind you all – Armin is also a girl in this story. Why? Because I said so. Mwahaha. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Green-Eyed Monster**

****Armin****

I could have sworn I saw Eren at the Induction Ceremony.

Mikasa and I haven't seen or heard from her for weeks now (_**Ever since that day at the tribunal. God, thinking about it still made me tear up, I still remember the sight of Eren in the middle of that courtroom, bleeding and being beaten to death by Corporal Levi. He was her childhood hero since she was five! That must have hurt her a lot too. I wonder if he knows that?**_). I might have been going crazy but I _swear _I saw her that night. She was underneath a cloak but I'd recognize those bright green eyes peering at me from anywhere. I always did used to tell Eren that her eyes were her greatest asset.

Or maybe they were a liability for her in this case. If she _was_ purposely trying to not be seen.

Since before I could remember, Eren, Mikasa and I have always inseparable and we were so close that I considered them both my sisters. We may not be related by birth, but the three of us have been through so much hardship together, have shared so much of our lives, that blood did not even matter anymore. I would gladly give up my life for either of them and I knew they'd do the same for me.

So, _why _on earth would Eren avoid me or Mikasa that night?

I probably didn't need to think about it too long. The rest of us – me, Mikasa, Jean, Reiner, Bertholdt, Sasha, Connie, Ymir and Christa – were already on route to the Survey Corps Headquarters. I could confront Eren about it directly once we got there. Honestly, I just really wanted to see her (_**I was worried about her, but probably not as much as Mikasa**_) and I wanted to make sure that the Survey Corps was treating her right, that they weren't running all sorts of experiments on her or something.

As we made our way to our new HQ, I took a moment to glance at my ex-trainee classmates (_**and now new teammates**_) and I couldn't help but think back on how we were before the attack on Trost. Jean was certainly a surprise, I wouldn't have expected in a million years that he would eventually join the Survey Corps – he was the one who was dead set on joining the Military Police since Day 1 of our training. Sasha, Christa and Ymir were quite the surprise too, I hadn't expected them to be the type to willingly place themselves in the line of danger like this, but then again I didn't seem the type either.

Compared to Mikasa or Eren, I had always felt as though I was the _weaker _sister. I wasn't a phenomenal fighter like Mikasa was, nor did I possess Eren's fiery dedication or that legendary will of hers that allowed her to accomplish _anything_ and get through _any _obstacle that got in her way. No, I was the meek and quiet one of our group – I preferred to hone my mind by burying myself in all types of books that I could get my hands on. I was also the more reserved one too – I wasn't really quick to make friends and, save for Eren and Mikasa, I wasn't close to any of the others from the 104th trainee class.

Mikasa was actually an extreme version of me and she felt no need to interact with anyone.

Eren, however, because of her fiery and spirited nature, she _always _seemed to attract people to her.

I saw how Eren had grown particularly close to Reiner, Marco, and even Annie (_**Though no one would have ever expected Annie would get close to anyone. She and Eren sort of developed a weird friendship after they had sparred**_). Whether Eren meant to or not, she always managed to leave such a lasting influence on other people just through her words and actions alone. Certainly, _that _had been the case for Jean (_**I never would have expected that guy to risk his life for anyone**_). If he and Eren hadn't pitted their wills against one another during our training, he would be a completely different person.

Curious, I cast my gaze a few feet away to where Jean was seated, hunched, in the cart across from me and I couldn't help smirking to myself as I thought back on how Eren and Jean had always used to fight before. (_**Duh, it's kind of obvious how much he likes Eren. Why he never really made his feelings for her known though, I'll never know.**_) Maybe now, with Marco's death and everything that's happened, he'll realize that we don't get any second chances and he might finally tell her how he feels.

I was broken out of my thoughts when we finally reached the gates of our new HQ (_**A castle? Seriously?**_) I looked up, tucking my blonde hair behind my ear, and watched as a soldier with an unfamiliar face greeted us. After checking us one by one, he allowed us to pass. I noticed that, just like us, the soldier had the Wings of Freedom insignia proudly emblazoned on the back of his green cloak.

"Aww." I heard Sasha whispering to Connie as we got down from the cart and followed another Survey Corps soldier who had greeted us by the entrance of the castle. "And here I was hoping that it'd be Commander Erwin who would welcome us and give us the grand castle tour." She whispered loudly.

"What, did you actually think Commander Erwin would take time off his busy schedule to welcome us _kids?_" Jean mocked her from behind, rolling his eyes. "Get a hold of yourself, Blouse."

"I–I was just saying!" Sasha blurted out, blushing under everyone else's amused smirks. "I mean he _did _give us that really nice speech during our Induction Ceremony! It just really inspired me! And I–"

"Oh, what's this? Are you developing a crush now?" Ymir teased, stifling a snicker.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. The Commander _is _quite handsome, Sasha." Christa assured kindly, giving Sasha a comforting smile. "And from what I've seen, he's quite charismatic too."

"Never knew you had a thing for _rank, _Blouse." Reiner chimed in, giving her a suggestive wink. Behind him, Bertholdt had to stifle his own snort of laughter and he hastily looked away to hide his face.

"Apparently, she likes older, _powerful _men." Connie added with a guffaw of laughter.

"I do _not!_" Sasha blurted out again, frantically shaking her head.

The soldier who was showing us inside the castle gave a snort. Just as he was leading us past some stables, he glanced at us again over his shoulder and gave Sasha a particularly reproachful glare.

"Trying to seduce a military officer is heavily frowned upon, you little brat." He growled.

Sasha's face immediately flushed the exact same color as Mikasa's scarf.

"S–Sir! I–I wasn't – I mean, that wasn't what I was trying to–"

The rest of our group (_**save for Mikasa and myself**_) immediately burst out laughing, their rowdy voices echoing all around the area and attracting the attention of another group of cloaked soldiers who were making their way out of the stables. I didn't pay much notice to the group at first. My attention was still on Sasha's face. Truthfully, I was irritated. (_**I don't think Commander Erwin would appreciate everyone looking at him that way. He's our leader now; we're supposed to treat him with respect**_).

Thankfully, I was spared the need to figure out _why _I was irritated when I heard a hurried set of footsteps behind me, followed by a warm, familiar voice that had called out my name from behind.

"Mikasa! Armin!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Mikasa flinch beside me and I immediately whipped around, my eyes growing wide as I scoured the area for a few seconds before my gaze finally came to rest on the green and brown blur that was racing towards us, launching itself at us with a tight, bone-crushing hug.

"Eren!"

My arms tightened around her and I returned her hug easily, ignoring the reactions of our other fellow trainees as they watched us from a few feet away. Before I got the chance to say anything, Mikasa suddenly yanked Eren out of my arms and grabbed her hands, holding them tightly in her own.

"Are you okay?" She demanded, her eyes studying Eren closely.

"I'm fine." Eren assured her, squeezing her hands. I couldn't help biting back a smile just then (_**because honestly, Mikasa, if you weren't so adorable with the way you fussed over Eren so much, you can be downright creepy**_). As though reading my thoughts, Eren looked up and gave me a helpless grin.

"Are you _sure?_" Mikasa insisted, her eyes still frantically searching Eren's face. "Have they done anything terrible to you? Full body cavity searches? Psychological torture? Tell me and I'll crush them!"

"Mikasa!" Eren interrupted sharply, cutting off her frantic threats when Mikasa's hands began gripping her shoulders and jostling her. "I'm _fine_. They're taking good care of me–_Mikasa!_ _Yamete_!"

I couldn't help it – I _laughed _when Mikasa suddenly grabbed Eren by her chin and forced her mouth open so that she could inspect the tooth that been knocked out of her mouth when Corporal Levi had kicked her face during her trial. When Eren whined loudly at this and struggled to pull away, I finally took pity on her (_**I saw that the others were laughing at us by now**_) and I pulled Mikasa away from her.

"Mikasa, she's fine! Look at her, see? All limbs attached, no bones broken. All teeth present and accounted for." I teased, glancing back at Eren and laughing again when she stuck her tongue out at me.

Unfortunately, after having confirmed that Eren was alright, Mikasa's expression suddenly turned to one of rage. "I swear, when I get my hands on that cocky midget." Her eyes narrowed and both Eren and I recognized the look of quiet murder in her expression (_**That's the same look Mikasa always had back when those bullies used to pick on me and Eren when we were younger**_) "I'm going to make him pay for what he did to you, Eren. He had _no _right to hurt you like that!" She growled loudly.

I flicked my gaze back to Eren just then and my eyes widened slightly in surprise when I noticed the uncertainty that clouded her features (_**Eren always did have the habit of allowing her facial expression to show exactly what she felt. It puts her at such a disadvantage with other people, really**_)

"Mikasa, are you talking about…Corporal Levi?" She asked softly.

I recognized the look on Eren's face easily (_**Oh good god, Eren. Are you serious?!**_) and I knew Mikasa did too but unfortunately, before either of us could say anything, the rest of our group – Reiner, Sasha, Christa and the others – were already descending excitedly upon Eren like a pack of vultures.

* * *

****Levi****

I hated these fucking update meetings that Erwin insists we have every week, I really saw no point to them. Christ, there was only so much that could happen in the past _seven _days since we last spoke to each other, what more did he want us to say? I wouldn't be surprised if he started to ask us to update him of every _fucking _thing we did throughout the day, starting with how many times we _pissed_.

And goddamn it, Mike just _had _to choose to sit next to me during the meeting didn't he? I swear, he _creeps _me out with the way he sniffed at everyone all the time. Well, I suppose it could have been worse – I could have ended up sitting next to _Hanji _– god knows, I'd choose Mike's annoying need to sniff at something every five minutes than dealing with Hanji's germ-infested hands grabbing at me.

Thankfully, Erwin chose to end that meeting earlier than usual (_**It was mostly Hanji raving about the results of her experiments on titan shit anyway – or something like that, I wasn't really listening**_) and the minute we adjourned, I shot out of my seat and began heading towards the door. Unfortunately for me, Mike and Hanji caught up with me just as I reached the halls and I was forced to fall into step with them, grunting every now and then as they tried to engage me in their conversation.

"–I think we could really make progress in this expedition, especially since we have Eren. Don't you think so, Levi?" Hanji chirped, jumping up behind me and slinging her arm around my shoulders.

I struggled to keep my disgusted cringe from showing on my face (_**Titan Germs! Titan Germs! She's getting her titan germs all over me!**_) and used my elbow to nudge her arm off my shorter frame.

"I think…You should lay off the brat." I answered her curtly, resisting the urge to run to the nearest bathroom, remove my coat and scrub furiously at the spots that Hanji had just contaminated. "That last experiment you tried with her didn't turn out so well. Who's to say that this next one will?"

"Levi _does _have a point." Mike finally spoke up as we rounded the corner and began heading back to the officers' rooms. "What if we're just wasting our time? Can we really risk the fate of humanity on that fifteen-year-old girl? I mean, who knows if she's really on our side or if she's just waiting for–"

"It's not your job to worry about Eren's motives." I interrupted him rudely, cutting him off. "I'm the one assigned to watch her, so you can just leave her to me. One wrong move and I'll end her."

"You're awfully sure of yourself, Levi." Hanji crooned, peering at me through her glasses.

I answered her with bored look. "Aren't I always?"

Hanji looked as though she was going to say something in response to that but before she could, Mike suddenly cut us off when his eyes narrowed and he lifted his nose into the air with a loud sniff.

I froze and both Hanji and I stared blankly at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Oh great." Mike scoffed to himself and shook his head. "More brats are here." He arched an eyebrow and gestured us towards the direction of a window that was overlooking the stables outside.

At his words, Hanji's eyes instantly lit up behind her thick glasses and she all but _dragged _me by the hand over to the window (_**Titan germs! Titan germs! Fucking hell, I swear she's doing this on purpose!**_) and shoved me forward, peering over my shoulder to watch as the new recruits walked past the barn and began making their way up the castle. I gritted my teeth (_**I also knew full well that she was flaunting her height advantage over me deliberately! Goddamn it!**_), unable to do anything but avoid any further contact with either Hanji _or _Mike as they both watched the scene below from the windows.

"_Sutekiii!_" Hanji crooned again, clapping her hands and grinning as she took in the fresh batch of recruits. "It's always nice to have a fresh batch of faces joining us! Especially after that last expedition–" She let out a 'tsk' and shook her head, stroking her chin in disapproval. "–so many of our soldiers died last time, I was almost afraid no one else was going to sign up anymore!" She heaved a dramatic sigh.

"Y–you four-eyed witch." Mike growled at her (_**I was barely paying any attention at this point; I was too busy gritting my teeth and trying to shrug her filthy hands off my shoulders. I swear, those weren't hands, those were paws! With claws!**_) "How can you talk so casually about stuff like that?!" He reached out and smacked her on the head. "Don't say stuff like that in front of those brats, you'll scare them off again! Remember the last time you were given charge of the new recruits?!" He chastised.

"Awww…You're such a mean old man, Mike!" Hanji scowled at him but when she glanced through the window again, her eyes brightened and she squealed, practically bouncing up and down. "Lookie, lookie! Isn't that Eren down there?! Aww…Doesn't she look so happy being reunited with her friends, _kawaii_! Are those the two sisters she talks about all the time? Aren't they all just so _sweet?!_**"**

Mike had let out a derisive snort at that, obviously uninterested, butmy ears had, inadvertently, perked up at the sound of Eren's name and I looked down, following Hanji's gaze to the scene below.

Just a few meters away from the stables outside, I saw Eren hugging two girls about her age – one of them blonde with shoulder length hair while the other girl had short, black hair and was wearing a red scarf (_**Isn't that the girl Eren had accidentally attacked when she was in titan form**_?). After talking to them for a bit, I watched as the group of new recruits suddenly circled around the three girls and, to my annoyance, most of them headed straight for Eren, yanking the brown-haired girl into a tight hug.

As if that affectionate scene hadn't raised my hackles enough (_**What the fuck?! Has she always been this friendly with all those boys?! And who was that muscled blonde brat and why the hell did he just ruffle Eren's hair like that?!**_), the final straw came when one of the boys – the tall one with light brown hair – had walked up to Eren, his features grim. He hung his head and said something to her that instantly seemed to drain all the happiness from her eyes. She could only stare back at him, her face stunned and pale, and it wasn't until the boy started to speak again that Eren managed to blink herself out of her daze long enough so that she turned to the scarf-wearing girl and gave her a look of horror.

When the scarf-wearing girl shook her head sharply and moved to comfort Eren, the boy with light-brown hair stunned their entire group when he suddenly launched himself at Eren and pulled her into his arms. By then, I realized that my nails were digging painfully into my palms, but I was unable to do anything else but watch helplessly as Eren slowly came out of her shock. Eventually, she returned the boy's hug, hesitantly wrapping her arms around the taller teen and burying her face into his shoulder.

I don't know why, but the display of such open intimacy between the two teens _stung _me and I couldn't bear to watch it any longer. Swallowing audibly, I tore my eyes away from the scene in anger.

Behind me, Hanji had erupted into another round of gleeful laughter. "Oh lookie, lookie, Shorty! It seems our little Eren isn't so naïve after all, isn't she? Awww….Just look at them, that's so _sweet!_"

"Fuck off, Four-eyes." I realized I was _fuming _and I wanted nothing more than to shove past Mike and Hanji behind me and lock myself up in my office.

"I don't have time for this shit. I'm going back to my office–"

Hanji had noticed that I was getting agitated with her but she ignored me and just went on gushing. "I wonder if that poor boy down there knows he'll have to get permission from 'Humanity's Strongest Soldier' before he can lay a finger on Daddy Levi's 'darling little girl'." She cackled at her own joke and to my annoyance, Mike seemed to find the situation amusing as well and he smirked at me.

I kept my expression completely blank and impassive as I stared back at them.

"Fuck you both."

They cracked up, matching each other's shit-eating grin (_**Really? They're mocking me like this? Did they forget that I really 'was' Humanity's Strongest Fucking Soldier and I could easily slice their face off?!**_)_**. **_I continued to give them a bored look, waiting until they finally lost interest and pulled away from the window, continuing down the corridor. As soon as they were gone, I allowed myself to glance out the window again, watching with slightly narrowed eyes as Eren finally pulled away from the brown-haired boy and, after wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she rewarded him with a shaky smile.

They nodded awkwardly to each other, exchanging a few more words, before Eren finally turned to the scarf-wearing girl and the blonde girl again. She gave them both another hug before she excused herself from them and waved them off, heading back towards the castle to finish the rest of her chores.

As I watched her, silently admiring the way the moonlight emphasized the smoothness of her skin, I tried to convince myself that it was probably better this way. She has her friends now and there are finally boys her own age around whom she can interact with (_**meaning the brat can finally stop following me around like a lovesick puppy**_). But then I figured I was never really good at lying to myself.

I was _jealous._

And I took pride in the fact that I was mature enough to admit that.

I realized that I didn't enjoy sharing Eren's attention with anyone else (_**Most especially that horse-faced brat who had hugged her just moments ago**_). I wanted Eren's attention on _me _and me _alone._ Though I knew exactly how unfair and incredibly _selfish _that sounded, I couldn't help it. I had never really expected to grow attached to anyone the way I was to Eren, and I realized that I _liked _having her attention on me all the time. I _liked _that she admired me and that she looked up to me as her hero.

I knew that I was actually _far_ from being a good 'hero' example for her (_**I grew up as a fucking thief and criminal, she knows that already. And yet, she still admires me.**_), but I also knew that I _wanted _to be. I _wanted _to be the kind of man she could look up to – the kind of person she could truly admire and love and dedicate all her time and attention to because, damn it. All she fucking has to do is to look up at me with those big, doll eyes of hers and I'd forget everything else (_**our age difference, my rank, her goddamn titan-shifting abilities**_) I'd forget about _everything _except how much I wanted her.

"Heichou?"

I hadn't realized just how lost in thought I was right then until another voice had spoken up behind me, causing me to stiffen in mild annoyance (_**Who the fuck is it now?**_). Slowly, I turned around, careful to keep my half-lidded expression devoid of any emotion as I stared back at Petra's worried face.

She had been there, watching me, for quite some time already, I could tell. In fact, she was staring intently at me – a small, sad smile lingering on her face. She studied my expression carefully, noting the unusual terseness of my jaw and the way I was avoiding her eyes. That was when I realized she _knew _(_**It was written all over her face**_) and, strangely, I wasn't as surprised as I should have been.

Out of all the members of my squad, Petra had _always _been the one who knew me the most. She could read through me as easily as anyone could read through glass, and though at first it _bothered _me that she could see right through my mask like that, I eventually came to terms with it. I suppose that, despite everything else (_**and even despite the fact that I couldn't reciprocate her romantic feelings for me**_), I actually _did _consider Petra to be one of those very few people I trusted enough to call my 'friend'.

I wouldn't be able to hide the truth from her.

It would be a futile attempt on my part anyway even if I did.

"You like her, don't you?" Petra spoke, drawing my attention back to her as she stared at me; her kind eyes warm with understanding as they studied my features.

"You like Eren." She said softly.

"No, I–" I caught myself, my fingers clenched and my eyes wide with shock and confusion. (_**What the fuck does she expect me to say to something like that?!**_)

"I'm not quite sure." I forced out.

"You _do._" Petra was smiling knowingly at me again, hugging her arms to herself and giving out a soft chuckle. "It's so obvious the way you look at her, Heichou. Your eyes give you away." She told me.

"_What–" _I gritted out, clenching my jaw. "–are you talking about? My eyes give _nothing _away! I don't feel that way about that little brat! She's less than half my age; I'm old enough to be her father!"

"And that's what bothers you." Petra pointed out again, looking amused at my reaction.

"Of course it bothers me! She's my subordinate! It wouldn't be right!" I shook my head again but I saw from the look on Petra's face that she didn't believe me (_**Christ, just how fucking obvious have I been?!**_) "Besides, she has all her friends back now. She's much better off with them than with me–"

"You like her." Petra pointed out bluntly again (_**Like that's the only thing that fucking matters?**_), cutting me off with a curt shake of her head. "And she likes you. Just what are you so afraid of, Levi?"

"I'm _not_. I just_–Fuck_._" _I let out a quiet growl of frustration and shook my head. "I just don't want to take advantage of her. Of course she can say she likes me, she's fifteen-years-old! She's just a child!"

"If I recall, girls are known to mature _much _faster psychologically than boys." Petra kidded.

"Stop that. I'm being serious here." I growled. "I don't want to take advantage of her."

"I see." Petra met my gaze with hers again and this time, I froze in place when I saw the small traces of regret and longing that lingered in her eyes. She sighed then – long and deep – before she slid her gaze past mine and stared behind me through the window, looking up at the stars in the night sky.

"You know, Heichou." She began quietly after a long moment of silence.

"A few years ago, I once confessed my feelings for you on a night just like this one. Do you remember that?" She asked me softly.

More than wishing that she hadn't brought that up, I clenched my fists and drew my gaze away.

Petra chuckled and rolled her eyes at my reaction before she smiled slowly at me. "And you know what? You said the _exact _same thing to me that night too. Do you remember what you said?" She didn't bother waiting for me to answer. "You told me that 'you didn't want to take advantage of me'."

When I glared at her in confusion, Petra shook her head again and she gave me wry smile.

"I can understand that you didn't feel the same way about me back then. But…Heichou, things are actually very different now." She waited patiently until I met her eyes again before she continued.

"Because you like Eren."

I stiffened, not daring to believe that she had actually said such a thing out loud.

"And she likes_ you_." Petra added after another moment, giving me pointed look.

I met her gaze with easily, still unwilling to show anything other than boredom on my face.

"How would _you _know how that little brat feels about me?"

Petra saw through me easily as she rolled her eyes again, laughing. "Well, I think you know that I may be a bit biased here when I say this but—"

She gave me a small, sad smile. "—what's not to like?"

I immediately fell silent again, my expression softening as her words hit me right in the chest. When I was unable to say anything for the next couple of minutes, Petra just sighed and spoke up again.

"I just don't want you to make the same mistake of pushing this chance away again." Before I realized what she was doing, Petra had reached out toward me, her hand cupping the side of my face. My first instinct was to recoil and move away, but then her last few words caused me to freeze in place.

"I just want you to be happy, Heichou."

Petra gave me one last, small smile before she finally turned around and walked away, leaving me staring after her retreating form in stunned, confused silence. Frankly, it would have probably taken me much longer to reflect on everything that Petra had just told me but unfortunately, I was forced out of my musings once more when I turned around again and I was met with a pair of bright green eyes.

I blinked a couple of times until I realized who it was.

"Eren?"

* * *

****Eren****

I shouldn't have seen that.

I really should _not _have seen that.

Holy crap, holy hell, holy fucking titan guts, I most definitely, positively (_**with absolute, utmost certainty**_) should _not _have seen that. (_**What the hell were you thinking come up here early, Yeager?!**_)

I swear, I hadn't meant to stumble upon such an intimate moment between Petra and Corporal Levi. Honestly, I really _would _have preferred _not_ to have witnessed such a scene altogether, if only because I really didn't like the sharp pang in my chest when I saw Petra caressing Corporal Levi's cheek.

I didn't really hear what they were talking about (_**I wasn't 'that' type of person, I knew how to respect other people's privacy!**_) but I knew that whatever it was, it was serious because Petra's eyes were slightly glassy with tears and Corporal Levi's face was not in its usual cold and bored expression.

In fact, he looked quite _stunned _at whatever it was that Petra was telling him and if it hadn't been for the fact that Petra was caressing his cheek, I was almost inclined to think that he was angry. Somehow, a strange part of me had me secretly wishing that he _was _angry– that he would snap at Petra like his usual, grumpy self, move away from her and tell her off for initiating contact with him that way. It just wasn't like Corporal Levi at all to allow people to touch him so freely like that, and I found that the more I gazed upon the scene of Petra being so close to him, the more I began to feel uncomfortable.

I wasn't exactly sure _what _I was feeling.

I just knew that I didn't like it.

Not one bit.

Fortunately, the moment between them finally came to an end (_**I'm not even going to bother hiding the fact that I was relieved about that**_) and after exchanging a few more words, Petra finally turned and walked away, leaving Corporal Levi staring after her retreating back in confused silence.

It was then I realized that I was still standing there – a few feet away from him – and that I probably looked like a complete idiot with my jaw hanging open, a basket of his freshly washed clothes balanced carefully in my arms. Just as I was about to turn around _very _slowly and tiptoe away before he could see me, Corporal Levi suddenly chose that exact moment to turn around. As soon as he recognized me and he saw my sheepish cringe at him, his face went blank again and he arched a single eyebrow.

"Eren?"

"Hai!"

In an awkward and rather clumsy attempt to salute him, I nearly dropped the laundry basket I held in my arms and Corporal Levi's lips twitched slightly, his eyes taking in my completely ruffled state.

"Ah er—" I coughed and tore my gaze away sharply, forcing out a laugh to ease the tension. "—I—I'm really sorry, Heichou. I was just on my way up to bring these to your room when I accidentally stumbled on a serious conversation between you and Petra. Gomen-nasai, I didn't want to intrude—"

"It's fine." He interrupted hastily, though he followed this up by giving me a sharp look. "You didn't hear anything, did you?" He asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing as he studied me intently. I immediately tensed at his words and I let out another nervous laugh, ducking my head behind my hand.

"Iie! I didn't hear anything, I promise!" I rushed to assure him, blushing under his glare. When his half-lidded gray eyes moved up to examine my features, however, his gaze stopped to rest intently on my face and I realized with a start that he must be staring at the puffiness that surrounded my eyes.

His next question caught me completely off guard.

"Are you okay?"

I found myself tensing up again and I stared up at him, blinking a few times as I tried to make out the strange expression on his face (_**If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looks concerned about me**_)

"Have you been _crying_?" He asked again, and there was no mistaking the worried frown that marred his features now as he stepped towards me, reaching a hand up and using his thumb to gently wipe away the remnants of a tear that had begun drying on my cheek. I knew I must have lost it by then because the unexpected (_**though definitely not unwelcome**_) softness of his voice drew me in and before I knew it, Jean's words earlier that day were descending on me again, unleashing a tidal wave of tears.

I really hadn't wanted to believe Jean at first – I wanted to think that he was just trying to play another mean prank on me and that, once the stupid prank was over, Marco would be there – wearing that silly grin of his as he came toward me, pulling me into a tight hug as I welcomed him into the Corps.

But Marco _wasn't _there…Because he was _dead._

I remembered the haunted look in Jean's eyes as he said those harsh words to me that night, and I remembered the way his eyes had brightened with tears when he saw the pained look on my face. I remembered the way harsh, broken sobs had wracked his lean frame and how we clung desperately to one another – two rivals – putting aside their differences to share their grief over the loss of their friend.

It had _hurt_ so much to see Jean break down like that. I had always thought of him as that horse-faced boy who would brag and whine about how the only reason he had signed up for the military was because he wanted to join the Military Police and eventually live an easy life behind Wall Sina. He was annoying back then, and _stubborn _as hell, but he was also _strong _and completely unshakeable when it comes down to it. He was able to keep his cool and wits about him even in the shittiest of situations.

Nothing else could shake him.

Except the death of his best friend.

"I just found out that one of my friends died." I finally managed to find my voice, though my words came out as a dry and hoarse. "…He also graduated with the 104th trainee class. He was with us during the attack on Trost. Though, none of us know what happened to him. He just…turned up dead."

Corporal Levi fell silent at that, and for a moment I wasn't sure if he had heard me or not. But then I saw the solemn look on his face and I knew that he understood. His silence was oddly comforting.

Suddenly, forgetting all about the fact that the Corporal's eyes were still on me, my eyes began to water again and before I could stop myself, a harsh anguished sob tore itself from my lips. Surprisingly, Corporal Levi still didn't say anything and it wasn't until a long moment later (_**Oh god, how many minutes did I just spend crying in front of him? It's no wonder he doesn't like me, he must feel as though he has to babysit a pathetic child**_) that he reached out and offered me his clean handkerchief.

Sniffing quietly, I took it and used the soft cloth to wipe the tears away from my face. I didn't dare look up at him, fearing that if I did, I would have to subject myself to his disgusted grimace. To my surprise, however, when I accidentally glanced up at him a few seconds later – just as I was wiping my eyes again – I saw that the look that was on Corporal Levi's face definitely wasn't one of disgust at all.

It was one of _understanding._

"Eren."

I met his eyes again, staring intently at him. At first, he seemed to be caught in a struggle with himself and I waited patiently until he finally sighed and gestured me down the hall towards his office.

"Sometimes—" His eyes flicked uncertainly to mine again, and I saw the question in them even before he finished his sentence. "—it helps to talk about it." He hesitated again before slowly adding. "If you like, I have tea in my office. We could – well, _I _could make some…And you could talk, if you want—"

I interrupted him just then, not only because I saw how much he seemed to be struggling but also because yes, I _understood _that he was wanted to comfort me and because _yes, _I wanted him to.

"I'd like that, Heichou."

He nodded at me once and slowly; I followed him down the hall towards his office.

* * *

**Notes: **Holy crap, this pairing. Writing out their relationship gives me so much _feels, _I swear it's not healthy anymore. :| Oh there's definitely more to come after that scene so please stick around! The next chapter will also contain a lovely portion from Commander Erwin's POV, so who's up for that? :D

"_Yamete" _– Stop

"_Suteki" _– How wonderful or splendid

"_Kawaii" - _Cute

"_Iie" _– Japanese way of saying "No"

Comments and reviews are welcome! :D


	7. Bittersweet Tea

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **Warning – there is quite a bit of fluff in this chapter. Haha I just couldn't help myself. Before anything else, I'd just like to apologize – because Levi and Eren got a little carried away and made this chapter too long, I had to move Erwin's POV to the beginning of the next chapter. Sorry! XD Having said that, enjoy, everyone! :D

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Bittersweet Tea**

****Eren****

I set the laundry basket of his clothes near his dresser and stared uncertainly at him, watching as he made his way over to his table with a pot of steaming tea in his hands. He sat down behind his desk, setting two small cups in front of him before he glanced at me again, beckoning me to come closer.

Slowly, I made my way over to him, lacing my hands together and fidgeting with my fingers (_**This is silly, I've been alone with him in his room dozens of times. Why should this time be any different? More importantly–**_) I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and sank down onto the chair across from him. (–_**why does this time feel different? It never used to be this awkward between us.**_)

"I'm not going to bite you, Eren." He spoke to me gently, as though sensing my uneasiness, and when I lifted my eyes from my lap and blinked at him again, he offered me the cup in his hand. "Here."

"Arigatou." I took the cup from him gratefully, trying to ignore the fact that his fingers had brushed against mine. From the look in his eyes, he must have noticed it too (_**Oh great, he's probably going to reach for that bottle of alcohol again and wipe my germs off**_) but to my surprise, he didn't. Instead, he reached for his own cup and leaned back against his seat, his half-lidded eyes resting on me.

Neither of us spoke for a few minutes and the room was quiet, save for our occasional sips or the clink of our cups against the table. Then, as he lifted his gaze and stared at me again, I accidentally tipped the cup I held over myself, spilling a bit of scalding hot tea over my hand and his table. (_**Are you serious?! This is the worst place and time in the world to be clumsy!**_) I fumed with embarrassment.

"G–Gomen!" When I saw him flinch, I flushed in horror and immediately shot up from my seat, reaching across the table for the box of tissues.

"Gomen-nasai! I'll clean that up right away, Heichou–"

"Holy fuck, Eren."

Surprisingly enough, he sounded _amused, _not pissed, and when I dared to look up at his face again, I saw that – though he had also reached out to wipe up the spill – he was smirking at my panic.

"Relax; I'm not going to explode at you for spilling a little tea on the table. Here." He reached for the pot beside him, pouring a bit more tea into my cup before he set it back down. Then, ignoring my embarrassed expression, he reached out and took my hand, using another tissue to wipe the droplets of spilt tea from my skin. I couldn't help but shiver when his fingers lingered needlessly over my palm.

He was touching me again, and the realization of it was making my pulse race.

If it wasn't red before, my face was most _definitely _the same shade as a ripe tomato _now_ (_**He's touching me. He's really touching me and he's not even flinching away in disgust**_). I could barely form a coherent thought as Corporal Levi finally released my hand from his and slowly pulled back from me.

It took me a while but eventually, I was able to calm myself down so that my hands were no longer shaking when I reached for my cup of tea again. He studied me closely, bored gray eyes peering at me as he brought his own cup to his lips. (_**Crap, this would be so much easier if he didn't look so damn bored all the time.**_) I hadn't realized that I had been staring at his mouth while I was thinking, and when he arched an eyebrow at me in question, I coughed and hastily tore my eyes away from his face.

"Are you feeling better?" He was staring intently at me again.

"A little bit, Heichou. Thank you."I wanted to smile at him (_**I couldn't though, Marco's death was still fresh in my mind**_) but instead; I could only give him a weak nod. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Brat." He shook his head at me, giving me a stern look. "You shouldn't even be apologizing for something like that. A close friend of yours just died – I get that. It's painful, so go ahead and cry about it." He poured himself another cup of tea, setting the pot back down on the table. Unfortunately, the harsh reality of his words began to sink in again and I remembered exactly the real reasonhe had invited me to have tea with him in his office. Before I knew it, my eyes had begun to glisten with tears again.

I knew he saw my reaction because he went on.

"Death is a normal part of a soldier's life. You must have realized that by now. You've made it this far in the Military, haven't you?" He asked softly.

I really didn't want to answer him, but he continued to stare at me so I was forced to speak.

"Yes, Sir." I whispered, keeping my eyes trained intently on the floor.

He gave me a single nod, as though satisfied with my answer.

"You will _always _lose people close to you in this war. Be prepared to accept that." He was watching me again, trying to gauge the emotions on my face. When I didn't answer, he pressed further.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir." I whispered again, still refusing to meet his eyes.

I heard him let out a frustrated sigh at my reaction but nevertheless, he continued to speak. "You will _always _lose the people you care about – people you _love. _You can't change that." He told me.

"I know." I gritted my teeth and began to clench my fists, growing frustrated with the way he was talking to me (_**It's like he's talking to a goddamn child!**_) and yet, unable to do anything about it.

I couldn't say anything _**(What could I say? All I see is judgment and condescension written all over his face!**_). Apparently, he seemed to be thinking the exact same thing because he heaved a sigh.

"I don't mean to judge you because you're young. I just don't expect you to understand–"

"But I _do _understand!" I interrupted him sharply, anger coursing through my veins as I snapped my head back up and glared at him through my tears. (_**Who does he keep emphasizing my age?! Is that what I am, will I always be just a kid to him?! Damn him!**_) "I'm not as young as you keep making me out to be! My age has nothing to do with this! I know what I signed up for!" I snapped at him, trembling.

"I see." Corporal Levi's lips curled upwards into a grim, albeit apologetic smile at my words.

"I know goddamn well that I will lose people in this war – hell, I've lost my mom already! She was eaten right in front of me by a _fucking _titan and I couldn't do a damn thing about it!" I couldn't help it, my tears poured endlessly down my cheeks now and my entire form was trembling as I glared at him. "It's not that I don't understand _why _Marco died, Heichou! But you _can't_ expect me to just accept it and do nothing! I can't do that, Sir! I can't just sit here and accept that!" Another harsh sob escaped my lips, cutting my tirade short. Trembling, I tore my gaze away from him, wrapping my arms around myself.

When I clenched my hands and brought my eyes back down, glaring quietly at the tea leaves swirling in my half-empty cup, he spoke again. This time, his voice was laced with a hint of resignation.

"I have no words of comfort to offer you." He brought his blank, hooded gaze back up to meet my eyes again. "You remember that I'm a soldier too. I've seen more than my share of death already."

"How?" I swallowed painfully and used the back of my hand to wipe angrily at my eyes. "–none of them could even tell me _why _or _how _Marco died! How can I just accept something like that?! _How?" _

His gray eyes suddenly narrowed and he glared sharply at me, staring me down.

"You just get yourself through it, Eren. You forget."

"I don't _want _to forget!" My eyes flashed with anger and I nearly shot up from my seat.

"You _move _on." He interrupted me again, though his words were softer this time and his expression lost its harshness. He leaned back against his seat and stared at me, taking in my trembling form. "Don't mourn their deaths. Instead, just keep fighting." My breath hitched in my throat when he leaned in over the table between us and for the first time, I found myself staring at his face up close.

"Keep fighting so their deaths would not have been wasted." He reached a hand up and stroked my face, using the same gesture to trail his touch up slowly until he was cupping my cheek. My eyes closed as he did this, and I relished the feeling of his warm, blade-calloused fingers grazing my skin.

"Keep fighting because that's what exactly what you're _here _for."

As the somberness melted away from his expression, I realized that my anger had vanished with it. Eventually, when I opened my eyes again, I saw that only a strange softness lingered on his face.

"Cheer up, brat." He chucked my chin up gently, wiping my tears away with his thumb.

"I'm in charge of your ass, remember? I'm not going to let you fight alone. I'll always be one step behind you." He paused again, and when my eyes slowly began to widen with understanding, he added.

"Whether you like it or not."

Despite the teasing drawl of his voice, there was such an open promise and honesty to his words that I couldn't help but smile back weakly at him, a choked-up laugh escaping my lips. In that moment, I realized that I didn't care anymore that he was my commanding officer and that I was his subordinate.

I couldn't care less that he was about 20 years my senior and that, just a few weeks ago; it had been _him _who had beaten me up in front of _everyone _during that tribunal. In fact, _all _that seemed to matter to me now was that he was _here, _with me, and that he was promising to never leave my side.

It was in that exact and very _precise _moment that a massive wave of fear and shock and happiness and giddy excitement suddenly came crashing down on me all at once. My heart started pounding rapidly in my chest and I felt both _dizzy _and exhilarated. I wanted to throw myself at him, wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself as close as I could so that I could bury my face into his chest.

Slowly, I forced my gaze back up to meet his eyes, a teary smile tugging on my lips.

"If Humanity's Strongest Soldier will always be one step behind me from now on–" I paused again and this time, I looked straight into his half-lidded gray eyes with a solemn expression on my face.

"–then I suppose I'll be just fine after all, won't I?"

My words had come out as a soft, barely audible whisper but I knew that Corporal Levi had heard every word because his eyes had softened again and he was staring at me with that same strange look on his face. Slowly, he reached out across the table, placing his larger hand gently on top of mine.

"Yes. You will."

He interlaced our fingers together, giving them a long, comforting squeeze.

"I promise."

* * *

****Levi****

We spent the next two hours finishing the rest of the tea in cozy silence. It wasn't until Eren's eyes began to droop and a yawn escaped her that I glanced at my clock and realized what time it was.

"You're tired." I stifled a smile when I saw the way she was obviously trying very hard not to let the sleepiness in her expression show. "You should probably get some sleep now." I told her softly.

"Daijoubou, Heichou. I'm not in the least bit sleepy–" Her protests were cut off when another yawn slid past her lips and I chuckled, amused at her stubbornness. She flashed me that adorable, sheepish smile of hers and sat up, stretching herself out and accidentally causing the hemline of her shirt to ride up, exposing the patch of smooth, sun-kissed skin above her waist (_**Oh for the love of—stop staring or she'll start thinking of you as a pervert**_). When my gaze lingered a bit longer than necessary, I didn't notice that she was saying something and it took her a few tries to finally grab my attention. (_**What the hell did she just say? Christ, it's like I'm back to being a goddamn teenager all over again!**_)

"Hmm?" I withdrew my gaze from her waist and hid my distraction by giving her a bored look.

"Gomen, Heichou." She smiled slightly at my reaction. "I think you're sleepy too. Thank you for staying with me. I should probably go back to my room now." As she rose from her seat, I hesitated (_**Don't say it. Just don't. Don't even fucking think about it–**_**) **but before I knew it, I called to her again.

"You don't have to go."

She froze midway and stared at me, her eyes growing wide with surprise.

"You can sleep here tonight."

I heard those same words being spoken in my voice but for the life of me, I would _never _have believed they had come from my mouth (_**What the fuck are you doing? Fifteen-years-old, remember?!**_)

"I mean–"

Her cheeks began to color a rather interesting shade of red at my statement but I ignored her reaction and continued, pretending to busy myself with rearranging the stacks of folders on my desk.

"–only if you want to, of course. I don't really plan on sleeping tonight anyway." Halfway through my sentence, I realized how wrong it all sounded (_**I swear I'm not a pervert! I hadn't meant for it to sound like that at all!**_)so I froze up and forced myself to explain. "If you want, you can take my bed and sleep in here tonight. That way, I won't have to bring you downstairs anymore." I decided to ease the awkward tension further by adding in with a wry look. "Look at this way – it's late and I'm actually too lazy to bring you all the way downstairs so I can chain you up properly. If you sleep here, you'll be doing us _both _a favor. You get to sleep in a more comfortable bed while I can still personally keep an eye on you without having to chain you up and lock you in that dungeon of yours. What do you think, brat?"

She was still staring at me (_**She looks embarrassed. I don't really blame her**_), completely at a loss for words, but when I noticed the way her fingers were beginning to tremble, I eventually relented.

"You know what? It's fine. I'll bring you back downstairs–"

"N–no it's fine, Heichou!" She blurted out and to my surprise, instead of backing away from me, she sank back down slowly onto her chair. "I–I don't mind sleeping here, tonight. Well um–" She let out a choked laugh and I couldn't help but stifle a smile when I saw how she was trying to hide her blush.

"–if it's okay with you, of course."

Her cheeks burned red again and there was a shy, awkward cringe on her face as she wrung her hands together, her gaze flying all over the room (_**Obviously in an attempt to not look at me. Silly brat. She never 'was' good at hiding what she was feeling**_). But by then, I could already somehow gauge her thoughts well enough that I didn't even bother holding back the amused smirk that tugged on my lips.

Ignoring her sheepish expression, I arched an eyebrow at her and gestured to her clothes.

"You're not going anywhere _near _my bed without a fucking shower."

She looked confused at first as she followed my glare down to her clothes (_**Seriously? Did the brat really think I was going to let her sleep in my bed with all that dirt and grime on her?**_) but when it dawned on her and she finally realized what I meant, her eyes lit up and her lips twitched with laughter.

"Hai, Heichou." She turned away quickly to hide her face, but even then, I had already seen her smug, knowing grin. I rolled my eyes at her cheekiness and turned back to the reports on my desk.

"Damn brat."

She laughed just then (_**It was actually more of a giggle, really.**_) and I smiled because I realized that it was the first time I had ever heard Eren make such an adorable sound. When she stood up from her seat, however, and began to make her way to the doors of my office, I frowned and spoke again.

"And where do you think you're going?" I asked, trying to hide my growing impatience.

She turned around and gave me a confused look. "You told me to take a shower, Sir."

"So I did." I met her utterly blank stare for a long moment (_**that should have given the brat more than enough time to piece things together and figure out what I meant but apparently, she really 'was' that dense**_). When another minute had passed and she was _still _staring blankly at me, I raised my pen and began pointing it _very slowly_ towards the entrance of my bathroom across the room.

"The shower is right through that door."

"Sir?!"

She gaped at me, her eyes having grown almost as large as her titan's, but despite that urge in me that wanted to laugh again, I squelched it down and answered her with a bored, nonchalant shrug.

"There's a bottle of shampoo and soap in there, go ahead and use as much as you need." I paused to cast a quick look over her clothes before adding, "Feel free to borrow some of my clothes as well. They might be a little loose on you, but they're definitely cleaner than the ones you have on now." (_**More like a lot fucking cleaner, actually. Wasn't that shirt of hers supposed to be white? Disgusting!**_)

"Hai, Heichou!" She stammered out, all but blushing again as she reached into the laundry basket to grab a couple of my clean clothes before hastily making her way towards the bathroom.

It took half an hour before Eren was able to finish her shower. When she stepped out of the bathroom, I immediately looked up (_**It's not like Erwin's fucking reports could ever hold my attention for very long anyway**_), watching as she walked back into the room. When she saw the smirk on my face, however, her embarrassed expression immediately creased into an indignant scowl and I couldn't help it (_**My clothes look way too big on her, she looks like a shrunken titan!**_) I began laughing again, hastily covering my mouth with my hand and turning away just as my shoulders began to shake with mirth.

"It's not funny, Sir!" She huffed, glaring at me. "It's not like you and I have the same build!"

I ignored her, setting my face back to its bored, half-lidded expression. After a while, I arched an eyebrow at her again and gestured lazily towards my bed. "Now go to sleep, brat. Stop bothering me."

"Yes, Sir!" Eren blurted out again, straightening at my words (_**It would have been hilarious if she had saluted me while she was in those clothes**_) and nearly causing me to smirk again at her stiffness.

She was still scowling though, and tugging self-consciously at her clothes as she walked past me on her way to my bedroom. As she reached the adjoining door, she must have arrived at that awkward thought again – that she was, in fact, going to sleep here – and she gave me another questioning look.

I gave her a single nod of confirmation (_**That yes, it's okay for her to spend the night in my bed and there wasn't anything wrong with that**_), causing her slim shoulders to relax. Afterwards, as she finally sat herself down onto my bed and slid underneath the thick covers, I continued to watch her (_**the way she yawned, the way her lashes lowered as her eyelids became heavy, or even the way she let out a contented sigh as she snuggled against my pillows, drifting off into a deep sleep**_). And goddamn it, she just looked so _lovely _lying there, buried underneath a mountain of clean sheets that I felt a blush beginning to stain my cheeks.

Sighing, I yanked my eyes away from her and shook my head at myself.

It was like watching a cherub fall asleep in my bed.

* * *

****Eren****

It must have been half past 5AM when I woke up the next morning, wrapped up contentedly underneath a mountain of blankets (_**Where am I? Why does everything suddenly smell so good and fresh and clean?**_). A warm and fuzzy feeling lingered in my chest as I opened my eyes slowly, taking the time to allow my blurred vision to regain its focus before I was finally able to make out my surroundings.

Frankly, the only thing that I was sure of was that I was _definitely _not in my dungeon (_**First of all, that was probably sunlight on my face and that murky smell of wet bricks was gone**_). It took me a few more minutes before the whole train wreck suddenly came crashing down on me (_**Holy-mother-of-Maria-Rose-and-Sina, I spent the night in Corporal Levi's bedroom! Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god!**__)_ and I shot up from the bed, a panicked scream throttling itself in my throat. Thankfully, the warm figure lying beside me seemed to have anticipated such a reaction (_**Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!**_) and without even looking at me, he turned a page of the report in his hand and spoke up in a bored drawl.

"If you so much as knock a _single _pillow or blanket onto the floor–"

Corporal Levi (_**Oh god, has he been lying this close beside me the whole night?! Fuck, please tell me I didn't try to hug him while I was sleeping!**_) paused in the middle of turning another page of his report and cast an impassive glare at me from the corner of his eye. "–I swear, I _will _skin you alive."

"G–gomen!" My voice ended up as a high-pitched squeak as I tore myself away from him on the bed, accidentally tangling myself up in his blankets. It was only when I was able to extract myself from the sheets later on and I sat back up that I realized he was already decked out in fresh set of his military attire (_**Has he taken a shower already? Jeez, how long has he been awake?!**_), complete with his cravat and all of his 3DMG belts. He sat with the back of his head propped up against the headboard, one ankle crossed over the other, and his eyes were half-narrowed as he continued to browse intently over the thick report in his hand.

When he noticed that I was gaping at him, he gave me another blank stare.

"Is there a problem?"

"Nothing, Sir!"

Blushing, I was just about to sit back up and move away from him but then, he surprised me again when he shrugged and simply turned back to his reading, leaning comfortably against his pillows.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I have an early meeting with Erwin in a few minutes so I'll be leaving in a bit." He paused after he had said this before adding quietly, "You can go back to sleep if you like."

I stared back at him, noting the way his eyes were more half-lidded than usual.

"Didn't _you _get any sleep, Heichou?"

The question had slipped out of my mouth as quickly as the thought had formed in my head, but instead of looking irritated with me (_**or kicking me off the bed**_), he gave me a wry smile and shrugged.

"I was able to get _some _sleep, but not much." He admitted.

"You look tired." I answered, and without meaning to, I scooted a bit closer to him on the bed so that my forehead was almost leaning against his shoulder. He turned his head a bit and met my gaze.

"You should get some rest." I told him softly, studying the dark circles under his tired eyes (_**Then again, didn't his eyes always look like that? Maybe the reason his eyes appear to be drooping all the time is because he's always sleepy.**_) As I considered the possibility, my lips twitched with laughter.

"Are you telling me what to do, brat?"

I sensed no anger or hostility in his voice (_**he was chuckling actually**_) and when I glanced at him again, I noticed that he had actually slid down from the headboard and was now lying down beside me, all reports he had been studying forgotten, on the floor beside his bed. I wasn't aware that I had moved closer to him as he did this. Eventually, he did the same and I came to realize that our faces were now so close and titled towards each other that my lips were practically mere _inches _away from touching his.

"I'm just _worried _about you, Sir." I whispered back, leaning in even closer to study his face.

I'll admit that I had always thought of him as handsome (_**Duh, I grew up idolizing him for years, that was more than obvious.**_) but up close like this, I realized that he wasn't actually the 'drop-dead gorgeous hero' that I had made him out to be ten years ago. He was good-looking, sure, but certainly not perfect, and being so close to him now, I finally saw the parts of his face which hinted at his age.

There were small lines that crinkled the corners of his eyes, and just a few inches above the side of his jaw, I was able to make out a faint scar (_**That doesn't look like it would have come from fighting titans. Maybe he got that during his thug days? I wonder how?**_). Since he wasn't wearing his usual scowling expression, I also noticed a few hints of age lines beginning to form between his eyebrows.

Truth be told, the imperfections weren't really all that noticeable unless someone actually peered closely enough. The fact that I actually got to _see _them and that Corporal Levi had _allowed _me to was making me admire him all over again. I remembered the way I used to wait for _hours_ by the window of our house every morning as a little girl, hoping to catch a glimpse of him if he happened to pass by.

I realized that I was right back to where I was 10 years ago.

I thought he was the most handsome man in the world.

"You alright?" Corporal Levi spoke up again, gently breaking me out of my trance.

I flushed a bit when I realized that I had been staring intently at him for the past five minutes. Surprisingly enough, he didn't seem to mind, and when I just flashed him a sheepish smile, he chuckled.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about something." I admitted.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked curiously.

(_**You.**_)

"It's nothing." I managed a nervous laugh and shook my head, trying to wave the subject away. "Anyway, Sir…Didn't you say you had a meeting with the Commander? I wouldn't want to keep you–"

"Eren." His voice went quiet as he interrupted me in the middle of my rambling and reached a hand out, tilting my chin so that I was looking into his eyes.

"You can drop the 'Sir' when we're alone."

My eyes widened and I flushed again at his words. "Oh but! I can't just–"

"That's an order." He cut me off flatly, a hint of irritation in his eyes. "It's just 'Levi'."

"Yes, Sir! I–I mean–_shit!_" I ducked my head sheepishly behind my hand. "Gomen."

He was chuckling again, shaking his head and giving me an affectionate grin.

"You're such a silly little brat."

I smiled at that (_**I was more than fully aware by now that he never actually meant any insult whenever he called me a brat. I saw it more as a term of endearment coming from him.**_) and unable to contain myself, I scooted myself even closer to him and retaliated by poking him lightly in the ribs.

"And _you're _such a cranky old man." I teased.

In response, he used his thumb and index finger to give the tip of my nose a playful flick.

"Hey!" I whined.

"Did you sleep well?" He peered at me again, choosing to ignore my reaction entirely.

"I did." I smiled again, forgetting all about my awkwardness or embarrassment altogether as I reached out and touched his face, tracing my fingers gently along the side of his jaw (_**His face is so smooth, like he's still a teenager. Can he even grow a beard?)**_ I decided not to voice that particular question out though (_**He might take that as me questioning his masculinity or something, jeez.**_) His eyebrows came together at my newfound boldness in touching him.

To my surprise; he didn't say anything, he didn't even move away. He just continued to watch me with that same bored look on his face.

When he continued to show no violent reaction to my touch, I spoke again.

"I never got to thank you, Sir. I–I mean–" He arched an eyebrow at me. I throttled another nervous laugh and hastily corrected myself.

"–_Levi. _Thank you for letting me stay with you tonight."

He didn't respond, merely giving me an imperceptible nod of his head.

"I uh–" I swallowed audibly and struggled to keep talking just so I could fill the awkward silence between us. My hand was still on his face, caressing his jaw, and I really did not want to pull away. "–I hadn't gotten a good sleep like that in such a long time. It was really nice to be out of those chains."

Again, he didn't answer, and all I got from him was a single nod of his head.

More than a little put out by his sudden silence (_**Oh god, have I overstepped my boundaries? Maybe I should stop touching him now**_), I slowly began to retract my hand from his face. I was forced to stopa few seconds later, however, when he suddenly shot his hand up and clamped it over mine, forcing it to still just as it was grazing his cheek. I blinked rapidly a few times and my cheeks went red as I gaped up at him, my breath caught in my throat as his searing gaze pinned me in place.

His half-lidded eyes studied my face intently at first before they slowly shifted, roaming up and down my trembling form.

The strange, ardent expression pooling in his eyes made me shiver (_**Christ, why is he staring at me like that? It's like he can see right through my clothes**_) but I realized that instead of moving away from him in fear or intimidation, I was edging even closer, wanting more of his warmth to surround me.

He was so close that I could feel the heat emanating from his body and I couldn't help but let out a shaky breath, unused to the feeling of having someone other than Mikasa being so near like this. (_**Oh god, he smells so good…Like tea. If I just leaned in a bit closer – just a little bit closer – I could–**_)

"Eren."

He let out a pained groan and his voice came out all husky as he whispered, "I can't."

"Can't what?" I whispered back, though I was no longer able to focus on anything except for how close he was, and the fact that his lips were edging closer and _closer_, just barely grazing my own.

Despite his words, he was still leaning in, his fingers interlacing themselves with mine, trapping my smaller hand in his and keeping my palm pressed against his cheek. When my eyes finally fluttered shut, however, and I was bracing myself for the impact of his lips crashing against my own, he _stopped._

(_**What happened?**_)

Confused, I opened my eyes again a few seconds later and felt my heart plummet when I saw him pull away from me and rise up from the bed, straightening his clothes. I continued to stare at him, crestfallen, but when I opened my mouth to ask him what was wrong, my voice got caught in my throat.

He ignored my expression and kept his back to me as he spoke. "You should probably start taking a shower, it's nearly 6AM. You need to get started on your chores." He spent a few minutes adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves before turning to me and adding in a completely nonchalant voice.

"I'd let you use my shower again but you have no clothes of your own up here, so you should probably head on back to your room." He was deliberately refusing to look at me, and I felt my chest constrict at his obvious rejection (_**What the hell just happened?! Did I imagine that whole thing?!**_)

"Yes, Sir."

Nodding curtly, I swallowed the lump in my throat and sat up, turning my back to him.

I couldn't take it anymore (_**That's it? He really wants to pretend that nothing happened?**_) so in spite of everything that had just happened and everything we had talked about, I stood up and began making my way towards the doors, trying my best to hold my chin up and avoid looking back at him.

As I got to the doors, I heard him curse under his breath.

"It's not like that, Eren."

He called out to me again just as I was reaching for the doorknob (_**Damn him. He was using 'that' soft voice again, damn him! Is he just playing with me?!**_) and though I stopped, I refused to turn around and acknowledge him, not even when I heard him walking slowly across the room towards me.

"It's not that I haven't thought about it. Not that I don't _want _to. But I just–"

The footsteps stopped and I sensed his presence behind me but it took him awhile before he let out a defeated sigh.

"–I _can't._"

At that, I finally turned around to face him, noting the way he hunched his shoulders (_**It was a strange sight – I would have never thought I'd see Corporal Levi with such a defeated stance**_)_**. **_Lifting my eyes slowly, I met his hooded gray eyes with my own and I asked him the one question on my mind.

"Why not?" I whispered.

He gave me that same pained look. "You're _fifteen, _Eren."

I stiffened at his words and the expression on my face instantly morphed into one of anger.

"What are you trying to say, Levi?"

Despite the fact that it had been _him _who had asked me to call him by his name, he _flinched _at the harsh, accusing way I had said it. Undaunted, I continued to glare at him, waiting for him to speak.

"You're much better off with someone your own age." He told me quietly.

I sucked in a harsh breath at his words (_**He said it the way he would to make a fucking child understand!**_) Clenching my fists, I began to realize that I was more than angry now – I was _furious _with him!

"You know I turn sixteen in a few days, right?" I hissed back at him with narrowed eyes.

Levi had the nerve to stifle a reluctant smile at my words.

"I'm still more than twice your age." He pointed out gently.

"I don't _care _about that!" I raged at him, sinking my nails into my palm. "Do _you?!_"

"I don't." He agreed quietly, giving a slight nod of his head. "But _you _will."

"No, I _won't–"_

"You _will._"

The gentleness suddenly vanished from his eyes, only to be replaced by a stern, angry glare.

"And you'll thank me one day, Eren."

Levi's features contorted slightly, creasing into a look of regret at his own words. He looked as though he wanted to say something else but by then, I had already turned and stormed out of his office.

* * *

**Notes: **Whoops, end of chapter here. Levi is still resisting isn't he? Well, don't worry. I have a few tricks up my sleeve which might help change that. Bwahaha. Again, really sorry that I had to cut the chapter here before I could get in Erwin's POV. It will be in the _next _chapter, I promise. I'll also probably be including Jean's POV next, so stay tuned for that. Should be loads of fun. :D

"_Arigatou" _– Thank you

Reviews, comments and feedback are welcome! :D


	8. The Loony Bin

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **I honestly think the only reason I put a warning for 'swearing' in this fic is because of Levi's potty mouth. I realized that no one else seems to curse as much in this story as he does. Hahaha. Enjoy the chapter! :D

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The Loony Bin**

****Erwin****

Since the day I was appointed Commander of the branch known for being the 'loony bin' of the Military, it was probably inevitable that everyday would be one goddamn headache after another.

On the other hand, I probably had it coming anyway. I mean, for a person to actually _want_ to join the Survey Corps (_**Even with the many years I've spent in it, I knew that joining it was basically equivalent to a death wish**_), that person was probably already 'not right in the head' to begin with.

I swear to god – if it wasn't planning suicidal expeditions outside the walls, hunting down and appointing criminals as Military officers or recruiting teenage girls with the ability to shift into a giant _titan,_ now it included trying to supervise one of my officer's insane experiments on two captured titans.

And now, Mike was telling me that _apparently_, these two said titans (_**Whom Hanji had taken the liberty of naming 'Sonny' and 'Bean'**_) were not only gone – but they were both _killed_ by some random intruder who had managed to slip past our watch last night. Seriously, when does it ever end?

To say that Hanji was _devastated_ would probably be putting it mildly.

I saw her just a couple of hours ago – when I found her, she was still on her knees wailing hysterically (_**I can understand the advantage of dissecting titans but I'll never understand why Hanji developed such an avid and morbid fascination with these creatures**_) and barking out orders to her panicked squad members about finding the culprit responsible for such a 'heinous' and 'barbaric' act.

Unfortunately, based on Mike and Levi's reports, we had no leads on Sonny and Bean's killer.

With a sigh of exasperation, I closed the file folder shut and moved on to the thick one below it, pausing for a few seconds when I saw its contents. It was the folder containing the names, training scores and records of our newest recruits, all arranged in alphabetical order. Curious, I picked up the first set of papers in the pile. My eyes immediately widened with recognition when I saw who it was.

"Mikasa Ackerman."

It was that black-haired, scarf wearing girl we saw during Eren's trial (_**I definitely remember her. She was the one who practically had to be restrained to her seat when Levi started beating Eren up**_). Going through her bio-data and records now, I had to admit that I was definitely more than _impressed _by her exceptional fighting and maneuvering skills. She had graduated as the top of her class, definitely not an easy feat in itself, and she had consistently ranked high in practically all of her subjects. I was suspicious though (_**The range of her skillset and fighting abilities is more than a little similar to Levi's.**_)

Drumming my fingers on the table in concentration, I moved on to the next name in the pile.

"Armin Arlert." I read out loud as I began scanning through her papers and training scores.

"Hmm." I paged through her file carefully, taking note of all her listed abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. When I saw that she had graduated as the top of her class in Academics and Strategic Planning _**(This girl has no skill for fighting or maneuvering at all but she has an impressive score in academics? That was certainly interesting.**_), my eyebrows rose in surprise. Truthfully, it was the first time I remembered ever having someone with _this _skillset join the Survey Corps – usually, these kinds of recruits opted to join the Military Police.

As I continued to stare at her records, I cast a quick look at her picture (_**She was quite cute, if not albeit young. I wonder which officer I should assign her to.**_)

When after nearly fifteen minutes and I realized that I _still _couldn't decide which unit I should place her in, I decided to give up and separate her file, resolving to go back to the matter of sorting Arlert later on. The next few 104th recruits were relatively easier to sort, though I eventually decided that I should at least let my top three officers have their pick first before I officially finalized the drafting.

I had just finished reading through Jean Kirschstein's impressive leadership scores when a heavy knock on my door suddenly drew my attention. I cast a quick glance at my wristwatch before looking up.

"Come in."

The doors slid open, but just as I saw Mike and Levi about to make their way into the room, Hanji suddenly came crashing in, wailing as she ran right toward me and slammed her palms down noisily onto my table. I tried not to wince as the folders I had carefully assembled splattered to the floor.

"Danchou!" She cried out, her eyes watery through her glasses as she reached across the table, grabbed a fistful of my shirt and jostled me. "We have to avenge Sonny and Bean's death!" She wept.

"Hanji." I tried to wrench her grip away from my shirt but she just held on tighter, looming over me. "We are doing the best we can, calm down and control yourself! Levi, get her off me!" I growled.

"I'm not touching her." He drawled flatly, looking utterly bored and disinterested as he strode into my office (_**Cocky, infuriating little bastard. He's lucky he's such a skilled fighter and soldier. Otherwise, I wouldn't put up with his attitude.**_) He sat down on one of the armchairs across my desk.

Eventually, Mike took pity on me and grabbed Hanji, ushering her into the chair beside Levi. When the three of them had finally settled in, I leaned back and folded my hands down onto the table.

"Ohayou." I greeted them formally, choosing to ignore the visible irritation in Levi's half-narrowed eyes. "My apologies for calling this meeting so early, but I'm afraid I'm to leave for Wall Sina this afternoon so this was the only free time I had."

I reached out and took one of the folders laid out on my desk, handing it over to them. Hanji was the one who took it, her wide eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that our new recruits from the 104th trainee class are here. They arrived last night, I believe, and I'd like for all three of you to go through their files one by one." When Hanji began leafing through the folders, I chuckled and added. "For completeness' sake, I added in Eren's records in there as well given that she's part of the 104th trainee class." I suspected that Levi had stiffened uncomfortably at my words but I wasn't sure – so I decided to test that theory out.

"—since she's assigned to Levi and the Special Ops Squad already, just count her out of your evaluation. Well, unless of course—"

I glanced at Levi again.

"—you think she's better off re-assigned, then maybe—"

"Eren stays with me." Levi interrupted me curtly, his stance suddenly rigid and his hands clenched into fists as he went on (_**I knew it. Something is definitely up**_). "Besides, _Smith, _wasn't that what your little show at the tribunal was about? If we move and assign that brat to another squad and officer _now, _how do you think the MP will react? _I'm _the one supposed to be watching her." He growled.

"True." I conceded to his statement, but not before giving Levi a pointed look. "But I think there's also some advantage if we rotate her, so the other soldiers become more comfortable with her."

"Eren stays with _me._" Levi repeated, and this time there was definitely anger in his eyes as he settled his half-lidded glare on my completely nonchalant expression. "End of that discussion."

"Wakata." I nodded, but instead of arguing with him, I decided to relent before he escalated the situation any further.

"Very well then, Levi. Eren stays with you."

His shoulders relaxed at my words.

"Er…Danchou?" Mike interrupted us carefully, giving me a questioning look. He had taken the folders from Hanji and brought it up to his nose, giving it a careful sniff before pulling a face (_**Right. I said read and study the records. I didn't say anything about smelling them!**_) He continued. "—if I may ask, what evaluation do you expect from us?" He asked, his eyes narrowing as he gave me a grim look.

"I'm glad you asked that." I answered him with my trademark formal smile (_**I might as well practice smiling already, I had a dozen high-ranking government officials to smile at tonight**_) "I want you three to go over all of them and tell me if you want any of them for your squads. You three have the best squads, after all, I'm giving you the chance to choose before I finally distribute them." I explained.

"Ooooh!" Hanji exclaimed, suddenly looking excited at my words as she snatched the folders from Mike again and began leafing through the files with much more enthusiasm. "We really get to choose this time, ne? Suteki, this is exciting! Let's see." As she began reading through the records one by one, Mike and Levi exchanged a look of bored disinterest with one another before glancing back at me.

"I take it you have no interest in recruiting any new soldiers?" I asked them with a sigh.

Mike smirked and answered in a nonchalant voice. "I'm fine, Danchou. I don't really need any new soldiers. Just give those kids to your younger squad leaders."

"I already _have _a new recruit." Levi intoned flatly, looking bored once again. "I definitely don't need another. One brat is enough, two would just be a _fucking _waste of my time." He snapped coldly.

"Aww…But I thought you _liked _Eren!" Hanji cooed as she flipped through another folder. "Titan-shifting abilities aside, she's such a darling little cutie, ne?" At her own words, she suddenly lifted her gaze from the file in her hand and shot Levi a grin. "Hey Shorty, if you ever need a titan-sitter to watch over Eren—"

"Titan-sitter?" I asked blandly, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Titan-sitter!" Hanji rolled her eyes and let out a sigh as though what she had said was the most obvious thing in the world (_**It most definitely wasn't, just so we're clear**_). "You know, titan-sitting?! It's kind of like 'baby-sitting' but with titans, see?!" She laughed and shook her head at her own bad pun.

"I swear, I crack myself up!" She blurted out gleefully.

"If you'd like, I can crack her _skull._" Levi muttered darkly to me under his breath so that Hanji wouldn't hear. I did, however, and apparently so did Mike because he shook his head at their antics.

Whether or not she heard Levi, Hanji went on anyway. "Anyway, about titan-sitting Eren, Levi—"

"No."

"Awww….But Levi!"

"I said no, you four-eyed piece of shit."

"Just _one_ day—"

"Fuck no."

"Alright, how about _half _a day—"

"Are you as deaf as you are blind?! I said _no, _you fucking son of a—"

"Shut the fuck up, both of you!" Mike growled at them.

I let out a loud, frustrated sigh as my three best officers erupted into a loud argument with a lot of interesting swearing and name-calling.

Gritting my teeth, I turned away from them, raising my hand and massaging my aching temples in exasperation (_**Seriously, how old were we again?! If any of our soldiers heard us talking like this during our update meetings, I swear we'd lose all their goddamn respect!**_). When the three of them finally managed to break out of their shouting match long enough, they noticed that I had stopped paying attention and had gone back to reading the reports on my desk with an irritated look on my face.

Surprisingly, Hanji had the temerity to look embarrassed. Levi and Mike, on the other hand, just let out a 'tssch' of annoyance before snapping their glares away from each other. As I glanced back up and met their blank stares again, I raised an eyebrow and addressed Levi and Mike with a pointed glare.

"So shall I take it that you two have no interest in any of the new recruits?"

Levi shot me his trademark half-lidded glare in response while Mike just scoffed and shook his head. Sighing, I turned to Hanji again and watched as she finally closed the thick folder she was reading.

"And you, Hanji?" I asked. "Any picks?"

"I may have a few." She answered, shooting me an impish grin. "Though I'd like some more time to go over these files first before I decide, is that okay, Danchou? I promise to return them right after."

"Go ahead." I nodded, watching as she tucked the files under her arm. (_**Finally, that's over. I swear these meetings get more and more tiring each week**_). I was just about to adjourn and let them get back to their duties when Hanji inadvertently called my attention again. She reached across my table and snatched up the only remaining folder that was still situated on my desk – that of Armin Arlert's.

"Wait a minute, Danchou." She frowned slightly; unaware of the way I had stiffened as I watched her flipping curiously through the file. (_**Ah damn. Hanji wasn't supposed to have seen that one yet, I was actually considering Arlert for my own unit.**_) "I think this may have slipped out of the pile. She's another one of our 104th recruits. I'll just put her back in here with the rest of her classmates—"

"Just leave Armin Arlert with me, Zoe. She's under _my _evaluation." I interrupted, cutting her off. When I noticed the way all three of my officers were staring suspiciously at me, I added hastily. "Her skillset is significantly different from her classmates so I haven't quite decided what to do with her yet."

"How so?" Hanji asked, peering curiously at me through her glasses.

"Well, I just—" I realized that my cheeks were beginning to turn a rather embarrassing shade of red at the way Hanji was still smirking at me (_**Why is she looking at me like that? Is she implying anything?!**_) so I decided to clarify the situation a bit further. "—I just mean that I don't think she quite fits in with any of the other units. So I'm actually considering her for my own squad." I explained slowly.

While Levi and Mike seemed to accept this (_**It was a perfectly logical explanation after all!**_), Hanji's brown eyes just widened even more and she whistled, giving me a triumphant, knowing grin.

"Ohhhh. I see, Danchou." She raised an eyebrow at me, the smug grin never leaving her face.

I cringed and began to close my eyes, already trying to anticipate her next statement. Though, truthfully, no logical deduction could have ever prepared me for the words that came out of her mouth.

"You're trying to score a cute, fifteen-year-old girlfriend of your own too, huh?" Hanji ended up cackling by the end of her sentence, causing both me and Levi to turn a very interesting shade of red.

"Excuse me?!" I gaped at her, my eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Strangely enough, both Mike and Levi had fallen silent at this.

Mike had flicked his eyes sideways to Levi and he stared intently at him in silence, causing the smaller man to avert his uncomfortable gaze to the floor. Meanwhile, I somehow managed to find my voice again a few minutes later but the next few words that came flying out of my mouth were neither sensible nor redeeming in any way on my part.

"She's actually _sixteen_."

Mike and Levi stared dumbly at me (_**One of my officers blatantly accuses me of trying to get together with our fifteen-year-old cadet and all I have to say in response is that she's sixteen?!**_) but Hanji just laughed again and finally stood up, causing her chair to scoot backwards a couple of inches.

"Sure, Danchou." She turned around and waved a hand at me over her shoulder before she began heading towards the door. "Anyway, let me check these kids out – see if they're interesting enough to make it on my squad. Don't worry, I'll bring all these back to you when I'm done. Toodles!"

She was already heading out the door before I could say another word, followed by Mike who eventually stood up from his seat as well and, after excusing himself from me, strode out of the office. As soon as the two were gone and Levi and I were the only ones left, staring blankly at each other from across my desk, I cleared my throat and glared intently at him, studying the discomfort in his expression.

"Levi."

He met my gaze without flinching (_**He was Humanity's Strongest Soldier after all, I was the one who made sure of that**_), though I could see that there was a hint of uneasiness in his hooded gray eyes.

"What exactly did Hanji mean by that?"

In response, he gave me another one of his deadpan stares and lifted his shoulders in a bored, careless shrug. Then, ignoring me completely, he stood up and began walking calmly out of the room.

"Beats me." He drawled, his footsteps scuffing across the wood of my floors. "It's Hanji, anyway. She's just fucking crazy. That'll happen when you do nothing but inhale titan germs all day, you know."

I opened my mouth to contradict him (_**That yes, it was Hanji – one of the smartest, most perceptive people I knew – and she wouldn't be the type to just make something like that up without it being founded on truth or evidence**_) but before I could, Levi had already stormed out of my office.

* * *

****Jean****

I hadn't seen Eren at all since the night we arrived in the Survey Corps Headquarters.

Well, I suppose that wasn't entirely true – I _did _see her twice on my way to the food hall in the morning. Both times I had seen her, she was outside the castle, sitting with the squad assigned laundry duties and scrubbing away at a small pile of clothes. I thought about calling out to her (_**She probably would have just glared at me anyway, I don't think I'm her favorite person to see in the morning – or any time of the day actually**_) but she just looked so busy with her all of her chores that I decided not to.

From what I'd heard from Armin and Mikasa, Eren was always busy with a _truckload _of chores these days, all thanks to her strict and very demanding commanding officer, Corporal Levi. (_**Jeez, that must suck. Humanity's Strongest Soldier as your Commanding Officer? Wasn't he the bastard who beat Eren up during her trial? I wonder if he's still hurting her. I hope he's not. I mean, I may not like Yeager, but she certainly doesn't deserve all that**_) I thought about how it used to be back then – before Marco's death – when Eren and I used to drive each other crazy with our differences in philosophies.

She certainly hadn't earned the nickname _"Suicidal Bitch"_ for no reason, that girl was absolutely _crazy_ – it was like she was always on some kind of anti-titan rampage. I would never have guessed it from her appearance alone (_**Alright, damn it. She was cute as hell and she did have a pretty fine body but that doesn't give her the right to be so goddamn annoying!**_). I still hadn't quite forgiven her for that one time she beat me up in front of the entire 104th trainee class. I've been hating on her ever since.

For the past three years, I guess we had _always _been at odds with each other, and fighting with her came as naturally to me as breathing air. (_**I remember our legendary shouting matches in the food hall. I can't believe that was just 3 years ago!**_) I suppose, what bothered me about her was that she was everything I had resolved _not _to be – she was passionate, she was brave, she was willing to die – to lay her life on the line – for something she believed in or for someone she loved and wanted to protect.

She had such fierce, _fierce _determination and I had never seen anybody who could, by sheer strength of willpower alone, pick herself up over and _over _again during a fight, even when she had lost everything.

The truth was, I really admired her.

The way she changed and influenced the people around her – including me – with her spirit was just so goddamn amazing and _frustrating. _It was frustrating because she had moved even _me _(_**Me! Who had decided from the very beginning that I would join the Military Police and that I wouldn't be as crazy as her!**_) I wasn't like her – I didn't want to risk my life fighting goddamn _titans _for people I cared nothing about. No, for me, it had always been about protecting myself and my own damn interests.

She had _changed _me.

A part of me had never quite forgiven her for it, but at the same time, I realized I really wanted to become closer to her now – if only to discover what else she could get me to change about myself.

It was a _scary _and _selfish _feeling, and I knew that if Marco were still alive right now, he'd sock me in the jaw and tell me bluntly that I was just making up shit-faced excuses so that I wouldn't have to admit that I really _liked _Eren (_**Holy hell, I can't believe I actually like that brash, titan-shifting idiot!**_**) **

"Damn it." I muttered under my breath, digging my nails into my palms.

If only Marco were still alive– he'd know exactly what to say to get me out of this goddamn circular argument I seem to get myself into a _lot _these days. But_ hell, _thinking about Marco was still so painful, even now. I knew Eren was close to him too, and that was _precisely _the reason it felt so natural to yank her into my arms that night.

It was a moment of shared loss more than anything else – no petty rivalries – just a moment of mourning between two people for a precious friend they had both lost.

Thankfully, Eren understood that because she hadn't tried to say anything – she didn't even try to push me away. She just wrapped her own arms around me and hugged me back, and for a moment, I felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted off my chest. Marco was gone, but everyone was still here.

More importantly, _I _was still here and I would do whatever it took to avenge his death for sure.

"Yo! Kirschstein! Over here!"

I was broken out of my musings by a loud voice just as I rounded the corner leading to the food hall. Looking up, I noticed Reiner, Bertholdt and Connie lounging near the castle entrance. They were talking and laughing boisterously amongst themselves (_**What the hell do those assholes think they're doing over there?**_) and when I joined them, Reiner greeted me with a hard slap to the right shoulder.

"What's up?" Reiner exclaimed, giving me his usual roguish grin. "We were just thinking about having a little sparring session outside. You know, to catch up on our training. You up for it?" He asked.

"I'll pass." I hesitated, glancing at my wristwatch. "I was kind of heading off somewhere."

"The hell you off to?" Reiner demanded.

"Food hall." I spared an irritated look at him, shrugging his arm off my shoulder. "What made you want to spar anyway? Are we allowed to do that without permission? Won't we get into trouble?"

"Ah don't be such a stickler, Kirschstein." Connie grunted from the ground. He had been doing sit-ups for the past few minutes and when I shot a look at him, he grinned and hopped back to his feet. "It's been a few days and the truth is, we're getting really bored. I hope that's about to change soon though, I heard from Major Hanji that they'll be assigning us all to our squads tomorrow. You excited?"

"I hope I get drafted into a unit with a lot of girls." Reiner butted in before I could say anything, and he slung an arm around my neck again and pulled me into a half-hearted chokehold. "If you know what I mean." He winked and waggled his eyebrows suggestively at us, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Is that really all you can think about?" Bertholdt asked him with a pointed sigh.

"No, no! He's right!" Connie chimed in loudly and he shot a quick glance around the area as though to check if anybody could hear before he added. "I mean, there weren't a lot of girls back in our training class. I would _love _to get drafted into a unit where I'm the only dude, that would be _so _awesome!"

"We have a _lot _of girls in our training class." I argued, frowning slightly.

Reiner and Connie shot a knowing smirk at me (_**What the hell was that look for?!**_) while Bertholdt just looked uncomfortable and shifted awkwardly a few times. I was just about to ask him what the hell their problem was when another pair of voices suddenly spoke up loudly from behind us.

"Hey, you guys! What are you doing over there?"

I turned around just as Armin and Mikasa were making their way over towards us, both girls already decked out in their new Survey Corp uniforms. While Armin greeted us with a smile, Mikasa didn't look happy (_**Though that wasn't actually a surprise, Mikasa never really looked happy anyway**_) and I couldn't help blushing slightly as I pulled my gaze away from her when she had caught me staring.

"Hey, Pretty Ladies." Reiner greeted them with a teasing grin. "Where's the brunette of your group? I'm kind of not used to it being just the two of you, I'm still hooked on the whole 'Three Hot Sisters' thing you've got going on." He teased, causing Connie to snigger and Bertholdt to roll his eyes.

Mikasa stared blankly at him while Armin blushed, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. Ignoring Reiner and Connie's flirtatious grins, she sighed and gestured in the direction of the food hall.

"We're waiting for Eren actually." Armin explained, her blue eyes peering up at us.

"Where _is_ Eren?" Connie asked.

"She's still eating lunch." Armin answered again, shrugging.

"Isn't it a bit too late to still be eating lunch?" The question flew right out of my mouth before I realized what it meant. (_**Why the hell do you care anyway?**_) Cursing, I gritted my teeth in annoyance.

"It _is _actually, but Eren assured us that this is the usual time she eats though." Armin glanced warningly at Mikasa when she noticed the irritated look on the other girl's face. "I think it's because she had to finish cleaning Corporal Levi's office first. Anyway, she told me that she'd join us afterwards."

"Cleaning the Corporal's office?" I asked again, and this time I couldn't help the frown that began to crease my face. "But I just saw her this morning; I thought she was assigned to do laundry?"

"She _is._" Mikasa answered, her voice cold and her eyes glinting with silent rage. "That _tiny_ excuse of a military officer not only has her doing his laundry but he also has her doing a _shitload _of cleaning chores for him every day. I swear, the way he orders her around all the time, that son of a–"

"Mikasa!" Armin cut her off sharply, sighing and shaking her head before she met my gaze again. "We can't really judge. After all, once we're assigned to our own units, we'll have a lot of chores too–"

"Not like Eren, we won't." Mikasa interrupted again, her delicate features darkening into a scowl. "I've seen the rest of Levi's unit, they don't have as many chores as Eren does. It's that blasted midget that handles the task list; _he's _the one giving Eren such a hard time. I really hate that bastard–"

Fortunately, Mikasa's rather interesting tirade was cut short by the very object of our conversation altogether as Eren came bounding towards us from the food hall. Her eyes brightened when she saw us, and despite myself, I couldn't help it when another pink flush sprang to my cheeks.

(_**Why the hell does she have to look so cute all the time? She's so goddamn annoying!**_)

"Hey guys!" She greeted as she reached us, slightly out of breath. "What have you been up to?" She asked and I couldn't help but notice how her shoulder-length brown locks were still a little damp.

"Did you just take a shower?" I asked bluntly, using a single finger to poke at her hair.

"Huh?" She glanced at the lock of hair I had just touched and rolled her eyes, giving me a shrug. "Oh yeah, I did. It's just this thing about Corporal Levi and his stupid obsession with cleanliness and hygiene. Just…don't ask." She gave me an exasperated glare when I opened my mouth to ask her anyway. "So—"

"Eren!" Reiner suddenly interrupted out of nowhere as he launched himself at her, slinging his muscled arms around her and yanking her into a tight, playful bear hug. Mikasa's eyes widened in panicked alarm at this and she looked as though she was going to intervene but Armin held her back.

Amusingly enough, Reiner hadn't even noticed and he exclaimed. "Perfect timing, dude! You're just the person we wanted to see. Do you know what Connie, Bert and I were thinking about doing?"

"I don't know." Eren answered flatly as she rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm and twisted herself out of his arms. "Were you pervs planning on raiding the women's showers or something?" She asked.

"Now that is an excellent idea." Connie grinned at Bertholdt, causing the tall teen to roll his eyes and sigh in annoyance again. "Why didn't we think of something like that?" He asked Reiner pointedly.

The blonde grinned impishly at him but before he could say anything, I interrupted them again, knowing full well that if I let their conversation carry on any further, we'd get absolutely nowhere fast.

"Just get the hell on with it!" I growled, blushing slightly when all three girls, Eren, Mikasa and Armin, (_**I'm beginning to agree with Reiner about the whole 'Three Hot Sisters' bit, they really do look good when they're together like this**_) all turned to look at me. "You're wasting our goddamn time!"

"Fine, fine." Reiner grumbled under his breath before he turned to Eren again and gave her a conspiratorial wink. "You up for a sparring session with us, Yeager? Or have you been out of practice?"

"Sparring session?" Eren's eyes twinkled at the words. "Bring it on! Even without any practice, I'm still certain I can beat the living crap out of all of you!" She challenged, causing Reiner to grin at her.

Instinctively, I called her bluff and swung my left leg towards her to attack, immediately causing Eren to stiffen and twist out of the way. Growling, she slammed me back down, face first, onto the damp floor. (_**Holy fuck, Kirschstein?! After three years, you're still getting beaten up by Eren?!**_) When she straddled the back of my waist and twisted my arm behind my back, I flushed and began struggling.

"Alright, alright! I give, Yeager! Just let go already!" I whined.

Connie, Reiner and Bertholdt alI burst out into sniggers at my predicament. Mikasa just stared down at me while Armin sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head at the sight. Blushing hotly under their stares, I took the hand Eren offered me and pulled myself up back to my feet. She was smirking at me, her bright green eyes gleaming with amusement as she met my indignant glare.

"You _never _learn do you, Kirschstein?" She mocked loudly.

"Oh it is _so _on now, Yeager." I snarled back, rubbing at my sore arm.

When Eren continued to look smug, my eyes narrowed and I turned back to Reiner and Connie's wide grins. "Alright, count me in on that sparring session! I am going to kick this suicidal bitch's ass!"

"You're going to '_try'_, horse-face!" Eren retorted, her eyes flashing at the open challenge.

As Reiner grinned and began leading the rest of us outside towards an open area behind the stables, I saw Connie elbow Bertholdt in front of me before leaning up to hiss into the taller teen's ear.

"I thought Kirschtein didn't want to spar with us?" He asked, looking confused.

I opened my mouth to snap at them (_**That I thought it was pretty obvious – I had to join now because I had to show them that I could beat Eren once and for all!**_) but unfortunately, before I could say anything, Reiner let out a snort of amusement as he began shrugging off his Survey Corps jacket.

"He doesn't want to spar with _us_." He pointed out and, ignoring the glare I sent him over Connie's shoulder, he aimed a knowing wink at Bertholdt.

"But he definitely wants to spar with _Eren._"

* * *

****Levi****

I was not having a good week.

Truthfully, I hadn't exactly been in the best of moods since Eren had spent the night in my room a few days ago but it hadn't stopped there. It wasn't just Hanji who had been thoughtless enough to point out her observations about my strange relationship with Eren (_**Fucking hell, I really can't believe that four-eyed shit blurted it out like that in front of Erwin! How the hell did she even expect me to react?!**_). Mike had also cornered me in the hallway that same afternoon. He had plucked a _fucking _strand of chocolate-brown hair from my jacket, brought it up to his nose and sniffed it a couple of times before staring intently at me and asking me bluntly why I had a strand of _Eren's _hair on my clothes.

Naturally, I gave him a bored glare and told him to fuck off because the answer was pretty goddamn obvious – the brat was the one who handled my laundry after all. But when he sniffed at me again and told me bluntly that there was something suspicious about the way I smelled, I snapped at him and left before he could ask anything else (_**It's bad enough he had the nerve to touch me. Bastard**_)

And if _that _wasn't enough, Eren was ignoring me _again_.

Alright, maybe I was being unfair. I _did _do a pretty good job of getting my message across to her. Actually, short of telling her to 'fuck off', I_ did _kind of tell her to drop any hopes she may have of me ever returning her feelings because she was just too goddamn _young. _(_**And she really was, damn it! I don't care if she's fifteen or sixteen, she's still way too young for me! I can't even imagine Erwin's reaction!**_)

But goddamn it, the shitty little brat was really ignoring me.

The way she did all her chores perfectly (_**from morning to evening, she picked up my laundry basket from my room, cleaned out my office, brought my clothes back promptly right after dinner, ironed them out in silence, stuffed them all back into my dresser and cleaned my office out again before hurrying out**_) it grated on my fucking nerves. That brat had to know that I was glaring at her the entire time but other than greeting me with a formal salute, she wouldn't even look at me anymore.

What was it with that stupid titan brat anyway?! (_**Her friends arrive and suddenly, she has no time to talk to her own Commanding Officer anymore? I thought I was her hero, goddamn it!**_)

"Son of a bitch." I cursed under my breath as I stepped out of my office and began making my way out of the castle towards the training area. Letting out a sigh, I was just mentally debating with myself whether or not I should try to work some of my frustration out with a few rounds using my maneuver gear when a loud chorus of boisterous laughter drew my attention from behind the stables.

Irritated, I set my expression into its usual impassive mask and began heading towards the source of the commotion, fully intending to unleash whatever hellish punishment I could think of on the idiotic squad that was making all that noise (_**It was probably Mike's squad, they were always so fucking loud**_). Before I got there, however, I froze when I realized that they were already headed towards me.

Even from a distance, I recognized those annoying brats from the 104th trainee class easily. Fresh recruits were always so easy to spot in the Survey Corps; they always had this certain air of energy and excitement around them. It was _ridiculous _really. But that wasn't what had drawn my full attention to them, however. It was the fact that _Eren _was actually with them (_**Son of a–What the fuck does that brat think she's doing?! Is that–why does she look like she just rolled around in the mud?!**_ _**Holy fucking–**_)

I was reduced to an incoherent, sputtering mess by then – _literally _just on the verge of exploding with rage – because not only was Eren laughing and tagging along with two boys (_**one was blonde and the other I recognized as the same horse-faced boy who had hugged her a few days ago**_) but more importantly, she was _splattered _from head to toe with mud, grass, grime and god-only-knows-what-else.

My eyes widened maniacally with anger and before I knew it, everything around me began to swirl with red. I clenched my hands, my fingers tightening dangerously and my shoulders beginning to shake. Mindless terror and fury began to drown out everything else in my head and I reached both hands up, yanking at my hair and mussing it up in crazed panic. (_**She's covered in mud, she's covered in mud, she's covered in mud, oh god, she's FUCKING covered in mud! She's fucking filthy! Germs and shit and grime are in her hair! Oh god, oh god, oh GOD – what the fuck?! Son of goddamn titan-eating–**_)

Alarm bells and sirens started going off like crazy in my ears and before I realized what I was doing, I was gripping the edge of my swords and charging towards the group with murder in my eyes.

"_YEAGER!"_

* * *

**Notes:**_ OMG RUN EREN, RUN! BWAHAHA_! I loved writing out that last scene so much! I can just imagine Levi screaming and practically going into cardiac arrest when he sees his beloved Eren all dirty and covered with so much _germs! _Oh Eren, you dirty girl, you are in big trouble ! XD

"_Danchou"_ – Commander

"_Ohayou" _– Good Morning

Reviews are most appreciated and welcome! :D


	9. Bath and Brawl

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **This chapter is hellishly long, and most of it is in Eren's POV. Don't ask me why, it just ended up that way. Wahaha! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Bath and Brawl**

****Eren****

I don't think I've ever seen Levi this angry before.

He was coming right at me with a very dangerous glint in his eyes (_**Oh god, I know that look – that's the same look he gets whenever he's about to slice up a flurry of titans! Why the hell is he gripping his swords, oh crap oh crap should I be running now?!**_) and to put it quite bluntly, I don't think I've ever been as fucking terrified in my entire life as I was right then. (_**Why is he angry at me for?! I didn't do anything wrong!**_)

My eyes grew wide and I stumbled backwards against Jean and Reiner behind me (_**Oh god, he wouldn't actually attack us, would he?!**_), throttling the scream that was just about to erupt from my mouth. Gulping, I was just about to scamper off towards the opposite direction but unfortunately, Levi was _much _faster than I was (_**Wasn't that the fucking understatement of the year?**_) and before I could even start running away, Humanity's Strongest Soldier had already snatched my muddy collar up in a death grip.

"You fucking brat!" He growled, jostling me a few times as he hoisted me up from the ground by my shirt. I let out a terrified squeak.

(_**God, we were just the same height but he was gripping me high enough that my feet dangled above the ground!**_)

"Eeeep! H—Heichou!" I struggled wildly against him, my eyes panicked and darting from left to right as I tried to look for someone – _anyone – _that could help me. Unfortunately, both Jean and Reiner looked just as terrified as I was and their wide eyes were focused on the blade that Levi gripped in his free arm and had pointed at them.

"Don't even think about it!" He hissed warningly at them with narrowed eyes before he turned to me and jostled me again.

"_You, _brat! Would you look at yourself?! You're fucking _filthy! _Didn't I tell you to never let me catch you like this again?! What have you been doing? Rolling around in the goddamn mud?! Answer me!" He raged.

"…Huh?!" I blurted out, blinking stupidly at him.

"You heard me, brat! Why the _fuck _are you this dirty?!" Levi's eyes had gone scarily wide and had such a crazed gleam in them that they made me shrink back in fear.

"I—I was—I just…Heichou, it's just _mud!_ It'll wash right off!" I argued weakly.

"Didn't I make it absolutely _clear _to you—" He exploded again and that maniacal look in his eyes intensified as he took in the clumps of mud and grass stuck to my shirt. "—that I do not _want _you getting dirty, Eren? That I cannot stand it when you're dirty?!"

"What is your problem?!" I retorted, losing my patience.

I ignored the shocked look that Reiner and Jean gave me for snapping at a high-ranking officer. (_**What was wrong with him?! He's not the one who's dirty, and it's not like I'm touching him and getting him dirty too! What the hell does he want?!**_) "So I got dirty, big fucking deal! I can go take a shower and it'll all wash right off, Heichou!"

"Did you just talk back to me?" Levi growled, blinking at me in disbelief.

"Yes! Because I don't understand why you're getting so worked up about this!"

"I do not _like _seeing you dirty, Eren." Was his strangely calm answer.

"Why?!"

"Because!" He blurted out, glaring at me with hooded eyes. "I can't stand dirt!"

I blinked a few times and gaped at the absurdity of his statement, truly unable to come up with a coherent response.

(_**What?! I don't even understand what that means!**_)

Though the crazed gleam in his eyes had vanished and his expression was slowly returning to its normal, impassive stare, dear god, he still looked as threatening and intimidating as ever. More importantly, the strange aura of possessiveness that seemed to be radiating off of his tense form did nothing to calm the rapid pounding of my heart.

His behavior right now just did not seem to add up with everything I knew about him. The way he was glaring at Jean and Reiner (_**More specifically at Jean, actually**_) had me thinking that there was just something about this whole situation that I was _missing. _

"Heichou!" Reiner spoke up, looking panicked as he held his hands out in front of him in a gesture of surrender. "We were sparring outside and Eren fell in the mud—"

"It was _my _fault!" Jean added hastily, his eyes wide as he visibly broke out into a cold sweat. "I was the one who pushed her in, I hadn't realized that she—"

"Shut up. None of you _fucking _brats move, that's an order." Levi cut them off harshly, ignoring their explanations as he turned his bored glare back to me.

"You're coming with me, Yeager—"

"Eren!" Another set of voices had called out a few yards away and Levi was distracted as he looked up, glaring darkly at the figures running towards us. (_**Oh god, Mikasa! Please don't throw a fit too!**_) As expected, Mikasa was the one who reached us first and she drew her own blades out, her eyes cold as she came sprinting towards me.

"Heichou." She hissed calmly, her expression ominous as she stopped in front of Levi and glared at him with murder in her eyes. "Let Eren go." She warned him quietly.

"No." Levi drawled back calmly at her with a nonchalant smirk on his face.

He met her glare easily before lifting me up by my shirt higher, causing me to wince (_**Oh good god Mikasa, please don't fight with him. Don't fight with him, you'll get yourself kicked out of the army!**_) "You would dare disrespect a high-ranking military officer?"

"I couldn't care _less _who you are!" Mikasa snapped back, standing her ground. "I am not letting you hurt my sister again! Now stand aside and let Eren go!" She growled.

"Stand down." Levi answered calmly, looking bored. "That's an order."

Mikasa's eyes widened at his blatant dismissal. "You no good son of a—"

"Mikasa!" I interrupted her hastily, my voice coming out as another squeak as I tried to speak up despite the fact that Levi was, inadvertently, choking me with my own collar. "I—it's okay, really. I'm fine, you don't have to do this, I'll just go ahead and—"

"Would you look at the way he's manhandling you, Eren?!" Mikasa argued.

"I'm _fine, _Mikasa! I can take care of myself—"

The rest of my words ended up as a grunt of pain when Levi suddenly chose that moment to drop me, causing me to stumble down onto the floor with a loud 'oomph!'

"Eren!"

Mikasa called out and she looked as though she was about to help me but then, Levi suddenly grabbed me by the shell of my ear and yanked me back up to my feet.

(_**Did he just—?!**_)

"_ITAAAI!"_

I reddened at the dumbfounded look that crossed Jean and Armin's faces. Even Mikasa had lost the angry look in her eyes and she stared blankly at us, completely stunned. (_**He's really going to yank me around by the ear?! This is so embarrassing!)**_

"Goddamn brat." Levi ignored my whining and began pulling me along after him. "I'm washing all this shit off you if it's the last thing I do. Now move your damn ass!"

"Ahhhh! Heichou, itai!" I whined again, my face burning with humiliation. I tried to wrestle myself out of his grip and run back to my friends but when I glanced at them over my shoulder and I saw that Armin was now trying to restrain Mikasa from running towards me, I figured it would probably be more advisable to just go with Levi anyway. Especially because Connie, Reiner and Bertholdt were already cracking up with laughter.

Levi gave an impatient 'tssch' and proceeded to drag me along by my ear, my high-pitched whines echoing all around the silent castle.

* * *

"Get in!" Levi snapped at me just seconds before he finally let go of my poor abused ear and I found myself shoved through the doors of his office. When I gasped and nearly toppled onto the floor at the action, he caught me roughly by my upper arm.

"_Don't—" _The warning in his voice caused me to freeze instantly and turn wide, panicked green eyes back up to stare at him. "—even think about getting any of that disgusting shit on my floor, brat." He hissed softly, causing me to gulp and back away.

"H—hai, Heichou!" I stammered.

"Get moving! I don't have all day!" He snapped again as he let go of my arm and shoved me in the direction of his bathroom. As we got the near the bathroom doors, I noticed that he was _still _following me. My cheeks began to redden with embarrassment and I whirled around to gape accusingly at him. (_**Is he actually going to follow me in?!**_)

"Heichou?!"

I blinked and stared at him with an expression that would have been worthy of a child being forced to watch someone torture her puppy in front of her.

"Well, get in!" Levi sighed irritably, ignoring my horrified embarrassment altogether as he grabbed my arm again and shoved me into the bathroom. When he walked in after me and closed the door behind him, I began shaking with fear. (_**What is he doing?! Is he going to punish me now by taking advantage of me?! Oh my god, no!**_)

"Get over here, Eren." He ordered calmly.

Levi was still advancing on me, causing me to back away in growing panic.

My cheeks flushed and I crossed my arms protectively over my chest, huddling myself into the far corner of the room. "Please! I'm sorry for getting dirty! I'm really sorry but please, don't do this! I don't want it to be like this, Heichou! I like you but I—"

"What the _fuck _are you talking about now, brat?!" He finally stopped and he cut the rest of my stammered protests off by giving me an incredulous, confused glare.

I stared back dumbly at him, the terrified expression lifting from my face.

"Huh?" I managed to blurt out.

Levi gave me a look that made me feel as though I sprouted another titan arm.

"You don't want to do _what?!_ You don't want to take a goddamn bath?!" He demanded with another impatient 'tssch' before adding. "I've had enough of your stupid games, Eren." He ignored the humiliated cringe on my face and turned around, walking over to the bathtub in the corner of the room and filling it with running water.

"Heh." I didn't even bother muffling my choked-up laugh of relief. (_**Oh thank god. For a second there, I thought he was actually going to rape me or something!**_)

Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice my reaction and when I glanced over at him a few minutes later, I saw that the bathtub was now nearly full and that he had dumped nearly half a bottle of soap into the water. (_**Oh great, apparently he thinks that just because I 'sort of' confessed my feelings for him, he can prepare my bath for me? When is he ever going to get it into his head that I'm not a kid—Fuck! What is he—?**_)

Apparently, sometime in the middle of my musings, Levi had turned from the bathtub and had walked towards me, scooping me up into his arms (_**Jeez, what am I to him? A weightless sack of feathers?!**_) and carrying me towards the soap-filled bathtub.

"Eeeek! What are you doing?! Let go, you pervert! I said let go!"I shrieked, struggling against him and trying to wrestle myself out of his arms but it was to no avail.

"Heichou!" I screamed.

He dumped me, kicking and screaming, into the large bathtub with a loud _splash_.

When I managed to resurface from the water a few seconds later, I was coughing and sputtering for air. After I finished clearing the soap away from my eyes, I glared up at his completely unperturbed expression through the drenched, wild tangle of my hair. (_**He's really just going to stare at me like that?! Has he officially lost his damn mind?!**__)_

"It's freezing!" I cried, trying to climb out of the tub but he shoved me back in.

"Tough!" He snapped, crouching down beside the tub.

With an irritated grunt, he ignored my shivering completely as he leaned over the tub again and reached out, shoving my head back into the freezing cold water. I struggled and scratched at his hands, trying in vain to move away from him but unfortunately, he was much too strong for me. (_**Oh my god, is he trying to drown me?! What the hell is he doing?!**_) I ended up spluttering and gasping for breath over and over again as he continued to do this for a few more times – dunking my head into the water, yanking me back out to allow me to breathe a few seconds before shoving me back in.

He was, _literally, _trying to give me a bath and I felt humiliated, unable to do anything but endure his actions until he finally stopped and allowed me to resurface.

After a few minutes (_**I was still coughing up water and trying to get air into my lungs**_) of him just listening to the choked sounds I was making, he reached out to grab the bottle of shampoo near the tub. Then, as I struggled to catch my breath, he tipped the shampoo bottle over my head and began pouring a liberal amount onto my hair.

Afterwards, as he shoved his fingers into my hair and began scrubbing furiously at the mud-soaked, tangled mess, I shrieked loudly and tried to shove his hands away.

"Heichou, I'm not a kid; I can bathe myself just fine!" I protested angrily.

"Shut up!" He hissed at me and I winced when his fingers tightened around my brown locks in warning. "Would you look at this?! There's dirt and grime and all kinds of disgusting shit in this rat's nest of yours!" He grabbed the bottle of shampoo again and poured another handful onto my head, scrubbing furiously away at my scalp. I winced at this and my wide eyes began to water from the painful way he was yanking at my hair. (_**Okay, ow…Ow…OW! Is he trying to wash my hair or pull it out?! Oww!**_) "And didn't I tell you to drop the fucking 'Heichou' when we're alone?!" He added with a low growl.

"Itai! Stop!" I couldn't help it – I began whining again and my eyes went glassy with pain. I tried to move away from where he leaned over me but when I tried to scoot back; however, Levi growled again and yanked me roughly by the ankle towards him.

"Stay still!" He warned. "There's this chunk of mud still stuck behind your ear!"

"Itai, Heichou!" I yelped again, forgetting all about his earlier request to drop his title (_**Frankly, the way he was scrubbing at my scalp was just too painful that I could barely think about anything else!**_). "Please be more gentle, you're _hurting _me!" I cried.

Surprisingly enough, the harsh expression on his face softened instantly at my plea. After a few seconds, the grip he had on my hair loosened, receding into a gentle tugging at my scalp. His half-lidded eyes calmed, finally losing their angry gleam, and at the sight of them, I let out a sigh and closed my eyes, my shoulders uncoiling with relief.

When I opened my eyes again a few minutes later, he was already scooping water with his hands from the tub and using it to gently rinse the shampoo from my hair. There was a noticeable flush on his cheeks, and he looked almost embarrassed.

I couldn't help but notice the way he refused to meet my eyes when he spoke.

"Gomen."

I heard his softly spoken apology clearly, even though I was _sure _he would have preferred I didn't hear it. Unfortunately, I was still in the middle of trying to come up with a coherent response for it when I noticed that Levi was reaching for me again and this time, his hands did not stop on my hair but began snaking down to tug at my shirt. (_**Holy crap, what the hell is he doing?! Is he trying to undress me?! Oh god oh god-**_)

"H—Heichou?!" I blurted out again, squirming away from him when his hands had begun trying to loosen the buttons on my shirt.

"Wh—what are you doing exactly?"

Levi met my gaping stare with a perfectly blank and nonchalant expression.

"Removing the rest of your clothes." He answered blandly.

"Wh—why?!" I spluttered with panic and both my hands automatically went up to clamp defensively around my chest. (_**Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, why is he undressing me?!**_) "I thought I was – that you didn't want – and that I was just a—" (_**Oh for god's sake, Yeager! Can you even try to make sense right now?!**_) "Sir, you can't!"

"Eren." Levi cut me off firmly, though there was a hint of gentle amusement in his eyes. "I am _not _going to ask you again. When we're alone, you can call me 'Levi'."

"Levi." I corrected myself, and I tried not to notice the way his eyes warmed at the smooth way his name had sounded from my lips. Swallowing the lump that formed in my throat, I edged away from his hands again. "Why are you taking my clothes off?"

"Isn't it obvious? How the hell am I supposed to bathe you properly when you still have your clothes on?!" He retorted, his eyes flashing with growing impatience.

"I told you, I'm not a kid! I can bathe myself!" I repeated angrily, my cheeks burning with humiliation and embarrassment. (_**Did he really expect that I was going to take my clothes off in front of him?!**_) "I'll be okay now, really, just wait for me outside."

"Oh for god's sake, Eren, just—" He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. "—fucking grow up and take off your damn clothes! I'm not going to do—"

"Levi, I am _not_ taking off my clothes in front of you!"

"Why?!"

My eyes widened at his question. (_**Was he really asking me this?!**_)

"Why?!" I screeched, gaping at him. "Because then you'll see me _naked!_"

"But—" He whined. (_**Oh really? He was the one who was whining now?**_)

"No!"

"Eren—"

"I said _no, _Levi!"

"But I just…" Levi looked conflicted with himself and gritted his teeth, anxiously eyeing my muddy clothes. "I need to make sure you scrub all that stuff out correctly—"

"I know how to scrub myself!" I snapped at him. "And if you don't get out right now, I'm going to report you to Commander Erwin for sexual harassment!" I warned.

He finally relented after that, glaring indignantly at me with a sullen scowl on his face. Finally, after a heavy sigh, he stood up and reluctantly began to head back towards the doors. He stopped as he was reaching for the doorknob and gave me a stern look.

"You have to _promise _me that you'll scrub _everywhere _okay?Including between—"

(_**What. The. Fuck.**_)

"Oh my _god, _Levi!" I exploded at him, my cheeks burning a million shades of red as I grabbed the shampoo bottle from the side of the bathtub and hurled it right at him.

He ducked instinctively, and the bottle missed him by an inch.

"Did you just throw a shampoo bottle at your Commanding Officer?!"

"Get out already! Just get out, Levi!" I shrieked.

As he slammed the doors shut, I finally let out a horrified meep and sank back down into the tub, hiding my beet-red face into the water to drown out my humiliation.

At this point, I had pretty much ruled out the possibility of him being a pervert who just wanted the opportunity to see me naked. Now, I genuinely did think that this whole thing was because he really was just a scary, obsessive-compulsive hygiene freak.

Seriously, he was just so fucking _weird_.

* * *

****Levi****

It took her nearly an hour (_**Should have taken longer. Is that brat really sure she got all that dirt out?**_) but Eren finally stepped out of the bathroom, making me look up from the files I was reading on my desk and give her an assessing stare. (_**Hmm… She looks clean enough. Did she get that smudge behind her – she did.**_) Eren stiffened at the sight of me, and I couldn't help but let my gaze wander unnecessarily up and down her form when I realized that she was clad in nothing but a clean and fluffy bath towel.

My eyes widened and I stared unashamedly at her, admiring her slender figure.

Surprisingly enough, her body was generously developed for a teenager her age (_**She's sixteen now, as she so angrily pointed out a few days ago.**_). The gentle curve of her hips, emphasized by her tiny waist, was quite obvious, and even despite the way she was so desperately trying to hide it, I could see that the size of her chest had swelled up quite nicely. And if the normal course of puberty was any indication, I was pretty sure that her bust was only bound to swell up even _more _in the next few years. That thought made my cheeks flame and I reached a shaking hand up to loosen the knot of my cravat.

When the silence dragged on, Eren noticed the way I was practically eating her up with my eyes. She wrapped the towel tighter around herself, looking embarrassed.

As she did this, I realized with a start that she had probably made a valid point a while ago about not letting me be the one to give her a bath. (_**I wasn't being a pervert, I swear I really did just want to clean her. But given my reaction to seeing her half-naked now, if I had seen her fully naked, I might have ended up ravishing her, no matter how dirty she was**_)_**. **_She cleared her throat, breaking me out of my trance. Reluctantly, I tore my gaze away from her chest and forced myself to meet her eyes.

"Uhm." She bit her lip and glanced uncomfortably around the room (_**She really had to stop biting her lip like that, it was distracting**_)

"I don't have any other clothes—"

"Here." I stood up from my desk and walked over to my dresser, yanking out a fresh pair of clothes and tossing it at her. She squeaked when I accidentally hit her on the face and I smirked, watching as she shakily gathered the clean clothes into her arms.

She stood there, shifting her feet awkwardly a few times but when I continued to stare at her, she finally let out a soft sigh and lifted her wide eyes up at me in question.

"Heichou, thank you for letting me bathe here. I should probably go—"

"It's 'Levi'." I automatically corrected her (_**She can't seem to shake the habit of calling me by my rank, can she?**_), ignoring her uneasiness as I strode across the room and began heading towards the door. "You must be hungry. I'm going to go downstairs to the food hall and grab us both some dinner. I'll be back soon, so go and get dressed."

"But Levi—" She hesitated, and at the sound of her voice, I looked up again and paused just as I had opened the doors. "—I have chores to finish. I thought you were—"

I sucked in an impatient breath of air and snapped at her. "You really think I'm going to let you get dirty again after you rolled around in all that fucking filth, brat?"

"It was just _mud!_" She argued but I ignored her and went on.

"Of course not!" I narrowed my eyes and gestured to the clothes she held in her arms. "Now get fucking dressed already! And when you're done, make sure to clean up the bathroom for any specks of dirt you may have left lying around! It better be squeaky clean when I get back, do you understand me?" I raised an eyebrow at her in challenge.

"Yes, Sir."

* * *

We ate dinner in tense, awkward silence when I got back, mostly because I was still kind of pissed off about the whole mud incident more than I'd care to admit. It wasn't just because I didn't like seeing Eren dirty any more than _I _liked being dirty (_**I'd never admit that to her, even if I was about to be chewed to death by a fucking titan**_).

The truth was, I didn't like Eren dirty because of one very _simple _reason.

All those showers I made her take every morning, afternoon and evening, all those times I snapped at her to wash her hands and keep her feet clean, all those chores I was so intent to ingrain in her head – they could all be traced to that very same reason.

I wouldn't be able to go near her if she was dirty.

I wouldn't be able to _touch_ her if she was dirty.

And _fucking _hell, every time I saw her dirty like this pissed me off more than anything because it made me feel as though she was _purposely _trying to keep me away.

Now, add _that_ to the fact that I just caught her in the company of those two teenage boys from the 104th recruits, I was nothing short of furious. To some extent, a part of me recognized that it _had _been me who had told Eren that she was better off spending time with boys her age, but I never expected it would bother me this much.

I just couldn't stand seeing her lavish attention on anyone else.

It was that same feeling when I saw her hugging that tall, horse-faced boy the other night. I was fucking _jealous _– and I damn well did not enjoy that feeling at all. It certainly didn't help that throughout dinner, Eren hadn't spoken a word – she hadn't even offered any explanation as to why she had been ignoring me these past few days.

And the more she kept ignoring me, the more I began to feel really angry.

Dropping the fork in my hand noisily onto my plate, I ignored the shocked look on Eren's face and glared at her from where she was sitting on the chair across my desk.

"Eren. "

At the sound of my voice, she flinched and lifted her eyes slowly to meet mine.

"Hai, Heichou?"

My eyes narrowed dangerously at her words and she hastily corrected herself.

"I mean, _Levi._" She managed a nervous, sheepish laugh.

I was silent for a few seconds, allowing myself to gather my thoughts and compose the words I wanted to say to her in my head before I spoke them. Despite all my editing and filtering, however, when I opened my mouth, I began swearing anyway.

"Who the fuck were those boys you were with and why the _fuck _were you rolling around in the mud with them?" I snapped, ignoring the scandalized look on her face.

"Uhm." She blinked at me, looking completely bewildered. "Reiner and Jean? They're my friends, Levi. We trained together, we're pretty close." She explained slowly.

"I see." I drawled, a muscle twitching in my jaw. "That answers one of my questions. Now I want you to explain why you rolled around in the mud with them."

To my surprise, Eren's eyes widened and she ended up laughing at my question. "I wasn't rolling around in the mud with them! We were _sparring, _Levi!" She answered, still laughing as she took in my outraged glare and the way I was holding my temper.

"Sparring was one of our favorite pastimes back when we were trainees, you know. It was just a way for us to let off some stress. I fell in the mud though, so that was why I ended up the way I did. It was Jean's fault, he pushed me in. Stupid Horseface—"

"Jean?" I arched an eyebrow at her. (_**Horseface? So I take it this 'Jean' was the one I saw her hugging the other day**_) "Is this Jean a boyfriend of yours or something?"

"Oh god, no!" Her eyes widened in horror at my words and she made a disgusted sound, shaking her head frantically at my question. "No, that's just gross! Jean and I are not anything like that; he and I are actually kind of at odds with each other all the time. We never really got along even then. He's nothing but an annoying idiot." Eren added.

I don't know why, but the minute she told me this, the jealous anger in my gut seemed to die out instantly. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my chest.

"I see." I repeated, though this time there was no more spite or anger in my voice. When she continued to peer at me, as though waiting for me to explain why I had asked her such a question in the first place (_**Don't push your luck.**_), I snorted and added.

"You are _never _to spar with anyone, most especially in the mud or any other fucking _filthy _place, without my permission again. Is that clear, Brat?" I asked sharply.

She rolled her eyes at my words and muttered under her breath. "Yes, Dad."

My eyes widened (_**Oh no, she didn't.**_) and driven more by horror and scandalized anger than anything else, I gritted my teeth and snapped my head up to seethe at her.

"If you _ever _call me that again, you brat, I will skin you _alive._"

* * *

****Eren****

Levi was still muttering darkly under his breath and scowling at me every now and then even after we were finished with dinner. (_**Jeez, he really took that 'Dad' comment pretty badly huh?**_) I was more than willing to head on back to my room at this point but just as we had cleared the plates away and I was making my way towards the doors, he suddenly called out to me again, pinning me in place with his stern expression.

"Eren."

I froze and slowly lifted my eyes to meet his bored stare. He raised an eyebrow at me before flicking his hooded gaze pointedly towards his bedroom. I blinked a couple of times at him, unsure of what he was trying to say. (_**Just what does he want now?**_)

Luckily, Levi had caught the look of confusion on my face because he gave me an irritated scowl. He shook his head to himself before he sat back down behind his desk.

"You'll sleep here tonight." He told me, and when I blushed and stared at him, he gave me a shrug and bluntly added, "I'm too lazy to take you back to the basement."

"I can't!" I immediately blurted out, my cheeks turning beet red. He stared at me as I gulped and began backing away towards the doors (_**Oh god, not again. Why is he doing this? Does he really enjoy playing with my feelings? What was wrong with him?**_)

"Why not?"

It scared me how incredibly _calm _he looked about this whole thing.

"B—because!" I stammered, gaping at him as though he had just admitted to being a titan-shifter himself. "It wouldn't be right; I can't spend the night in your room!"

"Why not?" He repeated, and that blasted, impassive look was back on his face. "You've spent the night in here before, what makes this any different?" He pointed out.

(_**Because you rejected me? Because it's unfair of you to play with my feelings like this?! Because I've been trying to ignore you these past few days so that I could get over your rejection but now you do all this and it's confusing me all over again?!**_)

"Because!" Was all I managed to get out, my eyes darting desperately around his office in search of anything that might help me escape in case I opted to run out of the room. Unfortunately, that proved to be a mistake because Levi noticed my intentions.

His eyes narrowed as he stood up slowly and began advancing towards me.

"Please stop!" I was shaking as I wrapped my arms around myself, backing slowly towards the doors. "You said you didn't want to be with me, y—you said I was too young! But you're confusing me again, a—and it's really unfair, Levi, so please stop—"

"I'm not trying to do anything." He answered calmly, and he ignored my protests as he took another step towards me, his half-narrowed gray eyes lingering on my face.

When I swallowed and stared up at him with wide eyes, he let out an exhausted sigh and added. "I'm tired, and I just want to sleep. So rather than me bringing you all the way back to your basement, I'm just going to let you sleep in here with me again."

He reached over and placed his hand firmly on the door behind me, preventing me from any further attempts to leave. Then, he turned to me. "Is that okay with you?"

I gritted my teeth and glared back indignantly at him. "Like I have a choice?"

He smirked at me, a strange, unreadable warmth in his eyes. When I couldn't think of anything to say, he reached over my shoulder and bolted the lock on the doors shut.

"I left a spare toothbrush for you by the sink." He ignored the disbelieving scoff I gave him (_**Is hygiene all he ever thinks about?!**_) and shoved me towards the bathroom.

"Brush your teeth and go to bed, brat. I still have work to do."

* * *

It was probably a good two and a half hours later after I had fallen asleep when I suddenly felt a heavy weight beginning to shift the bed. Forcing my eyes back open and blinking blearily to clear the sleep from my eyes, I squinted up at the intrusion – only to jerk awake and stifle a startled scream a few minutes later when I realized who it was.

"_Heichou!" _I choked out, trying to scoot away from him on the bed.

"Pipe down, brat." Levi growled, (_**Pipe down?! I was in the same bed with my Commanding Officer, the same man I don't even know if I have feelings for, and he expects me to pipe down?!**_) Scoffing at my panicked protests, he grabbed the blanket from me and he gave it a hard yank, successfully untangling me from the thick sheets.

"Sir!" I screeched again, trying to scramble away to the edge of the bed.

"Would you shut up?!" He snapped. "You'll wake the whole fucking castle!"

"What are you doing?!" I hissed at him, pulling the blankets up to cover myself.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

He met my blushing face with another one of his infuriatingly blank stares and I realized I was blushing so badly, my face was probably almost as red as a ripe tomato.

"Levi, we can't sleep on the same bed!" I screeched at him.

He let out an exasperated sigh at my protests (_**Does he really expect me to not be bothered by this?! We're alone on the same bed!**_) and gave me a reproachful glare.

"Well, what the fuck do you want me to do then? Sleep on the goddamn table?!" He pointed out impatiently, causing me to redden even more and snap my mouth shut. "Fuck this, I'm really tired, Eren. I don't want any more of your whining so go to sleep!"

He turned to his side and closed his eyes after he said this and I took that opportunity to slide along the mattress away from him, moving to climb out of the bed.

"Fine, I'll just sleep on the floor then." I was just about to peel the comforters off my form when Levi suddenly jerked to his side, snatching my wrist and causing me to stifle another startled scream of horror. (_**Oh my god! Is he trying to scare me half to death?!**_)

He gave a low growl at my reaction and yanked me back roughly into the bed.

"Oh for fuck's sake, would you grow up?! Just relax and go to _sleep_!"

I opened my mouth to screech at him (_**That what did he expect?! Nothing about this situation could ever make me relax!**_) but he turned away before I could get the chance. He reached for the lamp by his side of the bed, switching off the lights and plunging the room into darkness. More out of instinct than anything else (_**and maybe a bit of self-preservation**_), I stiffened and immediately scooted from him as far as I could.

He scoffed at my reaction and turned to his side.

"I'm not going to molest you, you know."

Despite myself, I felt my cheeks heat up at his words (_**Well at least he can't see how red my face is in the dark**_) and I squeezed my eyes shut, tossing the blanket over my head in embarrassment. Soon, the room was bathed in tense, heavy silence. As the minutes went by, I began tossing and turning underneath the sheets, trying to sleep.

After nearly an entire hour of this awkward set-up (_**By then, I was sure Levi had already fallen asleep**_), I eventually felt the day's exhaustion and dreariness begin to cloud my senses. Before I knew it, my eyelids began to feel heavy and I yawned, closing my eyes and allowing myself to turn to my side, resting my head against the soft pillows.

Admittedly, his bed was _infinitely _more comfortable than mine (_**I think I could pretty much peg that to the fact that everything was so clean and soft**_) and when I took a deep breath, I realized the sheets smelled just like him – like freshly brewed tea.

Shivering, I was just beginning to drift off to sleep when I felt a strong arm hesitantly drape itself around my waist. I stilled, making no move to protest or pull away, and the arm tightened, wrapping snugly around me. I began to tremble when I felt myself pulled backwards slowly until I was completely spooned by Levi's hard frame.

Impulsively, I stiffened and I almost pulled away when I realized how close he was but his arm felt like iron around my waist. He shushed me gently, the soft hum of his voice strangely comforting to hear in the silence. My lower lip began to tremble and I bit hard into it, willing myself to calm down despite the rapid pounding of my heart.

(_**I thought he didn't want this.**_)

I clenched my eyes tightly and, despite everything – all the warning bells in my head screaming at me to move away – I let myself melt against him, relishing the hard lines of his chest. His arm tightened possessively around my waist in response but he didn't say anything else, and I was much too terrified to turn around and meet his eyes.

(_**I really don't understand him.**_)

Turning my head slightly to the side, I inadvertently poised my nape right against his mouth. He tilted his head down slightly so that his lips brushed against my skin and I shivered, biting my lip again to muffle the moan that threatened to escape my throat.

(_**Does he really want me to stay away?**_)

Levi noticed my reaction – I _knew _he did – because I felt his lips moving against the skin of my nape. Surprisingly, he didn't do anything else and instead, he pulled me tenderly against him, pressing a kiss on the top of my hair. When I sighed and snuggled back into his arms, he nuzzled his face against my neck and we both began to fall asleep.

* * *

**Notes: **Phew! Like I said, this chapter was hellish long. I debated with myself whether I would actually cut it into two parts or not, but I figured it wouldn't have the same effect so I decided to keep it as it is. More Levi/Eren to come in the next chapter, and maybe a bit of Erwin/Armin too! I really love those two pairings! XD

Reviews are more than welcome of course! See you next update! :D


	10. Maybe It's Love

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **I was really surprised with how this chapter ended up, I hadn't expected it to evoke so much feels in me for Levi and Eren. I swear the way they keep dancing circles around each other is making me want to kick them in the head. Especially Levi. So damn stubborn, Heichou! XD

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Maybe It's Love**

****Eren****

I woke up that morning to the warm touch of sunlight on my face and the strange new feeling of a warm body pressed up against me. It took a couple of minutes, but when I managed to open my eyes, I noticed that I was buried snugly under a pile of blankets and that a pair of strong arms were wrapped tightly around my waist.

As I cast my gaze around the room, the foggy events of last night began to replay in my mind.

I froze up. (_**Oh my god. I spent the night in bed with Corporal Levi.**_)

Turning my head slightly to the side, I glanced at him over my shoulder, blushing when I inadvertently brushed my cheek against his. From this angle, I could see that his eyes were still closed and that he was still sleeping. I couldn't help but use that moment to stare at him, admiring how much younger he looked when he was asleep. The perpetual scowl on his face was gone and his expression was so unguarded, so peaceful, that my gaze softened and I twisted slightly in his arms so that I was now facing him.

His eyebrows twitched slightly and I froze again (_**Shit, did I wake him?**_).

I waited until his breathing had evened out before I dared to move again. When I was more or less sure that he had gone back to sleep, I swallowed and snuggled closer, resting my forehead against the crook of his neck. His arms tightened around me at this, almost as though he sensed my presence, and I sighed, pressing myself closer against him.

Closing my eyes, I listened to the comforting sound of his heartbeat, strong and steady, and I realized right then and there the one thing I was scared to admit all along.

I was in love with him.

It was a foolish mistake – one I think I set myself up into as early as ten years ago, when I was a little girl back in Shiganshina and I had first laid eyes on the hero that everyone had been talking about. They all called him '_Humanity's Strongest Soldier'_.

I hadn't understood what the fuss was about, until I saw him riding into town on his horse with the rest of the Survey Corps one morning. I saw the hardness in his half-narrowed eyes – the kind of hardness that could only have come from having fought and survived through countless battles and brushes with death that not even veteran soldiers had the stomach to get through – and I _knew _why he was humanity's strongest.

There was pain, death and hardship imprinted in his eyes, and to have had the strength to get through them was something no ordinary man could ever live through.

I lost myself in my admiration for him.

He became that one perfect hero that I could look up to. Above anything else, I admired people with strength and endurance – people who fought their battles fueled by nothing more than the mere _will _to survive. I told myself that I'd be like him one day.

I remember the way my mom laughed at me that morning. She had seen the wide-eyed, adoring look on my face as I watched Levi and the rest of the Survey Corps riding away from the crowd. For weeks, I was embarrassed because she teased me relentlessly, telling her friends about how utterly adorable it was that her five-year-old daughter had a silly little crush on Corporal Levi of the Survey Corps (_**I remember being angry with her for weeks afterward because she wouldn't stop teasing me about it**_).

Back then, Mikasa hadn't understood the magnitude of my adoration for Levi and she always ignored it whenever I babbled on and on about the Survey Corps and about how I was going to join them one day and rise up the ranks just like Corporal Levi. Armin did though, and I remember how she and I used to spend our afternoons playing out all sorts of scenarios – she would be Commander Erwin, I would be Corporal Levi, and we'd pretend our broomsticks were horses and 'ride outside the walls to kill titans'.

This went on for quite some time, up until the breach on Shiganshina and Armin and I were both forced to abandon our pretend bouts with titans for _real_ battles. Afterwards, when my hometown was destroyed, I forced myself to shove my silly crush aside. I was soon faced with much more important things to think about – my mother's death, training with the 104th class, the fall of Trost, and of course, my ability to turn into a titan. I forgot all about my so-called stupid crush, that is, until the day of my trial.

(_**How ironic was it really that the one person they would choose to beat me up in front of the entire legion was the one man I had grown up admiring my entire life?**_)

As he beat me and kicked me around that day, I forced myself to concentrate on the physical pain of each blow, mostly because if I allowed myself to think about what it all meant, the hurt would be much, _much _worse. And after it was all over, and I finally got to talk to Corporal Levi alone for the very first time (_**I remember that day clearly. He had come down to my dungeon, asking me if I resented him for what he did.**_), I told him the truth – I didn't hate him for what he did and that he was my childhood hero.

That was all I told him that day, because after what happened – despite _everything _that happened in my life – I didn't want to admit the truth to _him _or myself.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and reached a shaking hand out to touch Levi's sleeping face, using the same gesture to caress his cheek.

He didn't stir, and I was grateful for that because I really didn't want him to see my face right now.

I'll admit it may have started out as a crush (_**one that lasted ten years**_) but the moment I truly fell in love with him was when he shielded me from his own squad that day I accidentally sprouted a titan arm. It was the same day I saw him trying to hide the concern in his eyes as I bit my hand over and over again in the hopes of transforming into a titan. Because honestly, if such a hardened soldier like Levi could learn to care about a dangerous monster like me, then I knew that despite everything – all the shit and hardships and death he had gone through in life – he hadn't lost his heart at all.

More than that, I loved him because despite his horrible past (_**How he grew up on his own in the streets of the capital and how he was forced to survive by becoming a notorious thief and criminal**_), he only seemed to have come out of it all even _stronger_.

What I saw in him was such a strong, _fierce _will to fight back against anything and everything life threw at him. It was the strength of his _spirit_, not body, that truly made him Humanity's Strongest.

And it was _that _strength of his that I had really fallen in love with.

How I wished I could make him understand that.

Levi was still sleeping soundly as I laid my head down onto the pillow beside his, turning my face toward him so that I could continue watching him as he slept. The firm grip he had around my waist hadn't loosened and I couldn't help smiling slightly when I realized that even in his sleep, he still couldn't seem to stop being so protective of me.

As I continued to stare at him, however, and the silence dragged on between us, I thought back on his rejection of me a few days ago and I felt a harsh sting in my chest.

Back then, I thought he had pretty much made his side of things clear.

I tried to move on – I tried to get over the pain of his rejection by treating him indifferently (_**Reminding myself every day that he was just my Commanding Officer and that there was nothing more to it than that**_) but then, he goes and does all of this to me – he tries to bathe me, forces me to spend the night with him again in his room and now, he's holding me in his arms like this – and I'm just so confused all over again.

I wish he could just tell me what he really wants.

* * *

****Levi****

I found it strange how well I slept the night before, especially since I wasn't usually the type to sleep in. It was probably because I grew up on the streets of the capital (_**Obviously, sleeping along sidewalks doesn't give you much of a chance to lie in bed all morning**_) so my body got used to never really needing that much sleep.

But like I said, I was _particularly _well rested that morning, and if it weren't for the fact that I felt the bed shifting a couple of times, I probably would have slept on even more. But as it was, the bed moved again (_**Fucking hell, what is that?!**_) and reluctantly, I opened one bleary eye, glancing irritably around the room in search of the disturbance.

I found my answer in the form of one very wide awake, bedraggled Eren Yeager – who at the moment was currently peering down at me with such an endearing flush on her young face, her green doll eyes bright with fascination. I stifled a sleepy groan (_**Shitty brat, why did she have to look so goddamn lovely this early in the morning?**_) and before I realized what I was doing, I grunted and tightened my arms around her form, rolling us both over and causing her to squeak when I pinned her down to the bed.

When she swallowed and gaped up at me, her eyes wide and her soft lips parted open from surprise, I stared admiringly at her with sleepy, heavy-lidded gray eyes.

"G'morning." I murmured, taking that chance to admire her face up close.

She really _was _quite beautiful.

I remember using the term '_adorable_' to describe her loads of times before, and I had to admit that the term _did _seem to apply whenever she made that scowling face of hers or whenever she used that high-pitched whining voice that made her sound like a kid. But up close like this, her brown hair all tousled, her face flushed and her green eyes languorous from sleep, the word '_beautiful' _was really so much more appropriate to describe her.

It wasn't like I had never noticed how damn attractive she was before (_**I've heard Auruo and Gunther snickering with each other and making lewd jokes about Eren more than once**_). I suppose I just hadn't allowed myself to notice it at the time (_**I was assigned to guard the damn girl and I had to chain her up to a bed every night, I highly doubt thinking about her like that would be appropriate**_) Unfortunately, however, the more I got to know her _now _and the more I grew closer to the damn brat, the faster that damn attraction for her I was trying to hide was beginning to unravel.

And goddamn it, it wasn't just because she was beautiful.

I had been exposed to a lot of beautiful women before (_**Being Humanity's Fucking Strongest, women threw themselves at you all the time, you tend to get used to it**_). No, what drew me to Eren was that extraordinary spirit of hers – that innocent _light _that she seemed to give off so damn naturally that it had me wondering how the hell someone could live in this fucking, filthy world we had now and _still _maintain that pure, untainted spirit she had.

And just like that light, Eren drew people to her like moths to a goddamn flame.

From the very first time I laid my eyes on her during her tribunal, she had drawn me in with the way she looked at me, and I hadn't been able to look away ever since.

The truth was, I had wanted her even before I realized how beautiful she was.

She was strong, she was fierce, she was innocent, she was so _goddamn _passionate and courageous but damn it to hell, I knew I'd be a fucking fool if I ever let myself believe that someone as tainted as me could ever deserve such a lovely and spirited creature. (_**Just who the fuck was I, anyway? I'm just a disgusting, reformed criminal with no past, no family, and probably no future to offer her. Fuck that, I can't even offer her the kind of life she deserves –one with no pain and no hardships.**_)

She had nothing to gain from being with me, and yet I had everything to gain from being with her.

It wouldn't be a fair trade, and I didn't have the heart to do that to her.

"Levi."

I was jolted from my thoughts at the sound of her voice calling my name and with a start; I drew my gaze back up and met her glazed eyes with my own. She was staring intently at me but the expression on her face was difficult for me to make out.

She smiled weakly, her solemn gaze inspecting every inch of my face.

"I have a confession to make." She began, though when she realized that she had gotten my full attention, she hesitated, waiting for me to acknowledge her. When I urged her gently to continue with a nod of my head, she took a breath and continued.

"I had a dream about you." She whispered.

My eyes softened at her words and I had to force myself not to smile at her as I watched all of the raw emotions she was trying to hide from me playing out on her flushed face

(_**Silly brat. Does she even realize how expressive her face is all the time?**_)

"Did you?" I teased, unable to tear my eyes away from her lips.

Eren swallowed audibly and nodded, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"I did." She lifted her eyes and held my gaze, her lower lip making its way between her teeth. "I dreamt about that other time when we were in bed together like this. It was also morning, and I had just woken up. You were already fully dressed in your uniform and we weren't lying as close together as we are now." She spoke softly.

"I remember." I spoke in a hushed voice, feeling my breath catch in my throat.

"In my dream, we began leaning in closer to each other." Eren withdrew her eyes from mine, her cheeks burning even darker as she focused all of her attention on studying the collar of my shirt. "And our lips were barely inches away from touching."

To my dismay, I felt my own cheeks heat up at her words. My throat went dry and I couldn't help bringing my gaze down until I was staring hungrily at her mouth again.

(_**Fuck. She's playing with fire, why is she doing this? She had to stop right now.**_)

"Eren, _stop._" I croaked out shakily, subconsciously leaning my head down until my lips were ghosting above hers and my body had trapped hers down against the bed.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she lifted her gaze and stared at me. When she bit her lip again, leaning in closer, I swallowed and I struggled to keep myself from kissing her.

"Only _this _time, in my dream–" Eren lifted her head slightly and in that brief, fleeting moment, her lips were practically brushing against mine. I stiffened, tortured by the fact that she was so _fucking _close to me and yet I was powerless to do anything else.

"–you _didn't _pull away."

She _did _stop this time, though the confused, imploring look on her face never wavered and she continued to stare at me, searching for any trace of lingering emotion in my eyes. Unlike her, however, I perfected the art of masking how I really felt long ago.

"I have a confession to make, Levi."

I stiffened, bracing myself for the impact of her next three words.

"I love you."

* * *

****Eren****

Oh god, I said it.

Oh dear god, I actually said it. I confessed out loud to him that I loved him (_**and fuck, Levi was just there, staring blankly at me without any trace of emotion or understanding or even pity on his face**_) It was _humiliating _and I couldn't stand to look at him any longer.

My throat went dry and I felt the walls of his bedroom caving in around me.

I tore my eyes away from his, pushing frantically at him to get him to move away.

Thankfully, he sensed my desperation because without a word, he lifted himself off me, sitting back on the bed and watching with a pained expression on his face as I began scrambling to tear myself away from him. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to run the hell out of his room and to never see him again (_**To lock myself up in my dungeon, chain myself to the bed and never talk to anyone else again forever!**_) but unfortunately, it would seem that Levi wasn't quite finished humiliating me just yet.

He reached out for me just as I was climbing out of the bed and caught me by my wrist, his grip firm but surprisingly gentle. When I stiffened and tried to yank myself away, his fingers tightened.

I froze when I heard the gentle admonishment in his voice.

"Eren." He drew in a sharp breath and for a moment, I thought I could make out the conflict and uncertainty in his eyes but I wasn't quite sure. He clenched his hands and stared at me, shaking his head. "I am far from that goddamn hero you admired when you were a child. I'm _not _who you think I am. I am _not _that perfect man you love."

"I never said I was in love with a perfect man or hero." I argued, shaking my head and growing angry at the way he was, _again_, treating me like I was a child.

The tone of his voice was almost patronizing and I just hated the way he was presuming he understood how I felt.

"I said that I was in love with _you._"

Levi stared blankly at me, his expression unnervingly calm and unrelenting.

"No, you're not." He said softly.

"Yes, I am!" I hissed, trying to yank my hand away but he went on as though he hadn't heard me, and I found myself hating the way he could blank his face out so easily.

"Damn it, stop trying to tell me how I feel!" I raged.

"Would you look at yourself now? You're _trembling._" Levi reached his other hand out and, despite the guarded expression on his face; his touch was gentle on my cheek.

"You're _terrified_."

"I am _not!_" I screeched back furiously at him, and before I realized what I was doing, I exploded at him – hurt and angry and _humiliated_ with the way he was doing this to me _again. _(_**What does he want from me?! I'm tired of this! I'm tired of playing games with him! I don't know how to read him! I don't understand what he wants!**_)

"I'm not afraid of anything, you selfish asshole!" I ignored the way his half-narrowed eyes suddenly widened at my words. "If anything, Levi, the only one here who's afraid of anything is _you! _You may be Humanity's Strongest Soldier, but other than that, you're nothing but a fucking _coward!_"

I noticed how his eyes had narrowed again and the way he was seething at my words but all of that pent-up fury, confusion and humiliation in me just wouldn't be contained anymore so I went on, neither caring nor concerned about his reaction anymore. "This has nothing to do with our age difference! This is about _you! _This is about how you're just not ready to accept the fact that you may actually have to start caring about someone else other than yourself!"

Levi's eyes were uncharacteristically wide with stunned shock and his lips were parted as he stared at me, looking as though someone had slapped him across the face.

I considered doing just that (_**raising my hand and slapping him hard enough so that he felt the pain he caused me)**_ but then, I realized it just wasn't worth it anymore.

"You know, if a child is really all I'll ever be to you—" I hissed, my eyes burning as I glared at him. "—the least you could do is to just _stop _playing with my feelings!"

Levi was still staring at me, and there was an unfamiliar fire in his eyes that I don't think I have ever seen before. Rather dwell on it any longer; I forced myself to turn away from him and I climbed out of his bed, hastily making my way out of his quarters.

I should probably give him credit for being right about _one _thing.

Maybe I _should _give up this fucking ridiculous notion I have that one day, Levi will actually learn to see me as more than just a goddamn child and take me seriously.

It was never going to happen.

* * *

****Armin****

When Lt. Mike informed me that morning that Commander Erwin was requesting for my presence after breakfast, I was surprised (_**And a little a bit nervous to be honest. This was the Commander we were talking about. Was I in trouble?!**_). It must have taken Lt. Mike a few tries before he managed to snap me out of my shock.

Once I managed to regain my wits, I nodded my assurance to Lt. Mike that I got the message and as soon as I finished eating breakfast with Mikasa and Eren (_**Eren was in a particularly bad mood this morning though, I should go and check up on her later**_), I proceeded to head to the upper part of the castle where the officers' quarters were.

On the way there, I happened to pass by Corporal Levi just as he was exiting his room. For a second, I debated with myself whether it would be wise to salute him as I passed, but one look at the dark, menacing expression on his face, I decided against it.

In particular, I still remembered how scary the Corporal was the other day when he saw Eren soaked from head to toe in mud and I couldn't help repressing a shudder.

Out of all the higher-ups in the Survey Corps, there were _two _whom I truly found intimidating above all the others and those were – Corporal Levi and Commander Erwin.

I swear, being around either of those two was an invitation for a panic attack. Even though Commander Erwin did his best to hide his powerful aura by smiling at you and pretending to be all nice, I _knew _better, and if the stories from the other Survey Corps soldiers were anything to go by (_**I did my research on the Commander before going to his office**_), I knew for a fact that Commander Erwin was certainly no pushover.

He may _look _a lot nicer than the Corporal and he may _appear _to be the more approachable one, but when it came down to it, there was a reason _he _was in charge.

He was the kind of person who seemed to always have a plan, who always seemed to know exactly what he was doing and what needed to be done. He was the kind of person who was always thinking. Truthfully, I admired people like that (_**mainly because I wished, more than anything, I also had that kind of intelligence and control**_)

That thought continued to linger in my head as I finally reached Commander Erwin's office and I raised my hand, knocking on the door. When I heard him answer from inside, I squared my shoulders, took a deep inhale of breath and entered the room.

The Commander was seated behind his desk, looking perfectly composed and unruffled as always. When he looked up and greeted me with a cordial smile, my cheeks flushed and I pretended not to notice the way my pulse began racing at his nearness.

"Ohayou, Erwin-Danchou." I greeted him with a formal, military salute, to which he gave me a single nod. Hesitantly, I sat myself down onto the armchair across his desk.

"Ohayou." He returned, flipping the folder he held in his hands shut before he looked up and gave me another brief smile. "I apologize if I might be keeping you from your new chores today, Armin. As I understand, Levi already discussed the chore list rotations with you and the other new recruits?" He asked, leaning back against his seat.

"Yes, Sir." I answered, thinking back on how Levi had called out the 104th recruits during breakfast and had handed them their specific task lists. "For my regular chores, I got…the food hall, the castle entrance, and your office." I managed an embarrassed laugh after I said this and ducked my head behind my hand. "I was actually quite lucky."

To my surprise, Commander Erwin rewarded me with a sheepish smile.

"Er…Yeah. I guess I have to apologize for that too then. Cleaning my office used to assigned to Eren but I noticed that her chore list was getting kind of full so I asked Levi to reassign the task of cleaning my office to someone else." He gave me a wry look.

"I hadn't actually expected he'd assign it to _you._" He added with a chuckle.

"Daijoubou!" I assured him hastily, managing a nervous laugh in spite of myself. "I don't mind at all, Danchou. Besides, if it helps Eren out, I'm happy to help." I told him.

Commander Erwin fell silent at that and he studied me quietly, a curious look on his face. (_**Er…Okay. Why is he looking at me like that all of a sudden?**_) When I shifted uncomfortably under his unsettling gaze, he arched a single eyebrow at me in question.

"You three are really close aren't you?" When I blinked at him in surprise, he added. "You, Eren and Mikasa I mean. Gomen, I hope you don't mind me asking that."

"I don't mind at all, Sir." I assured him again, shaking my head. "We're more than close, actually. We're not related by blood but I consider Eren and Mikasa as my sisters."

"I understand." Commander Erwin answered, a thoughtful frown lingering on his face. (_**He makes me nervous when he looks like that. Why is it he always looks like he's planning something behind everyone's back and only he knows the final outcome?**_)

The Commander shook his head and gave me another distracted smile.

"Anyway." He cleared his throat and began re-shuffling all the folders piled on his desk. "I don't want to keep you. You're probably wondering why I called you here."

I stared expectantly up at him, folding my hands primly against my lap.

"I've decided to open up a position among the higher ranks." He paused and glanced at me, studying me intently. "It's a new position though. I've never actually appointed anyone for it before, so whoever I appoint for it now would be the very first."

"What would this position be, Danchou?" I asked him curiously.

"Lieutenant-in-Training." He answered, giving me another wry look.

If I understood this entire situation correctly (_**Assuming I picked up all the right signals**_), I was almost inclined to think that he was considering _me _for this position.

"I understand, Danchou." I nodded at him again, my eyebrows fusing together as I tried to figure out where he was getting at. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Armin." Commander Erwin chuckled, and he looked almost amused when he answered. "The reason I summoned you here this morning is because I wanted to let you know that, from here on out, I will be evaluating _you _for this position." He told me.

Individually, the words made sense, but it took me awhile to link them all together and process what he had said. As soon as I did, however, my eyes immediately began to bug out of their sockets and I gaped at him, my cheeks flushing with surprise.

"S—Sir?!"

"The title itself doesn't really say much, but basically, the function that I'm thinking of assigning you to is to be my tactical advisor." He paused as he began rifling through another folder on his desk, and when I dared to peer down at it, I realized that the folder he was going through actually contained my military records. "I saw your training scores, and I saw that you scored the highest above everyone else when it came to academics, strategy, and battle tactics. I want to hone your skills to our advantage."

"To be honest, not a lot of soldiers who join the Survey Corps have your skillset, and I want to see to it that those skills are not wasted." Commander Erwin flipped the folder close and he stared intently at me again, arching an eyebrow at me in question. (_**Wow, he's serious about all this?! He's considering me for a high-level position?!**_)

"We're still in the process of evaluating you, of course, so for the meantime, I'll be assigning you to one of my current squad leaders like the rest of your classmates. Depending on the outcome of our expedition in the coming weeks, and the results of your evaluation of course, I'll let you know if I've decided to give you the position." Commander Erwin paused again and he drummed his fingers thoughtfully on his desk.

"Would you be interested in this set-up?" He asked.

"H—Hai!" I blurted out a little too hastily, causing his eyes to flicker with amusement (_**Alright calm down, Armin. Don't get too excited, nothing's final just yet**_). "I—I mean, yes Danchou. I'd be interested in this position. I'll do my best!" I told him.

"Yokatta." Commander Erwin nodded and he met my wide-eyed look with another brief smile. "I'll inform the other officers then so they can start evaluating you."

He waited until I acknowledged him with another nod before he added. "That's all for now, Armin. You're dismissed, you may now proceed with your morning chores."

"Yes, Sir."

I tried my best to hide the smile on my face as I got up from my seat and practically skipped all the way back to the doors of his office (_**Lieutenant-in-Training! He was considering me to be Lieutenant-in-Training! I can't wait to tell Mikasa and Eren!**_).

Just as I was reaching for the doorknob, however, Commander Erwin surprised me when he called my attention again. This time, however, he looked apologetic and he was wearing an almost imploring look on his face as he gestured to the folder he held.

"By the way, Armin. Since you're here, I was wondering if you would be open to helping out with this little thing that Hanji's planning for all of you new recruits." He waited until I walked back over to his desk and accepted the thick folder from his hands.

When I opened it and flipped through its contents, my eyebrows rose and l stared back at him, my eyes wide with surprise.

"What's a Bonfire Night?" I asked.

He gave me a genuine smile just then (_**It was actually quite a charming look on him, he should smile like that more often**_), cringing at the bemusement on my face.

"It's this really silly tradition the soldiers insist we hold every time a fresh batch of recruits join the Survey Corps. Bluntly put, it's just a bunch of, supposedly respectable, soldiers getting drunk and dancing like idiots around a giant bonfire." He made a face after he said this and sighed, looking exasperated at his own words. "To be honest, Levi and I have always hated the damn thing but all the soldiers seem to really look forward to it."

"I…see."

I was desperately trying hard not to laugh at the disgruntled scowl on his face.

"Anyway." Commander Erwin cleared his throat again, setting his expression back into its usual composed mask. "I promised Hanji I'd discuss that more in detail with her this afternoon but seeing as I should be busy doing something more important, could you—"

"Hai, Danchou." I finished for him when it looked as though he was still struggling to find the words. "I'd be happy to help Major Hanji with the preparations." I told him, stifling another smile when I saw the utterly relieved expression on his face.

"Yokatta." The Commander gave me another grateful nod at that before he gestured me towards the doors of his office. "You are dismissed now, Armin." He added.

"Thank you, Sir."

This time, I didn't bother hiding the smile on my face (_**Bonfire night, huh? That ought to cheer the others up**_) as I walked out of his office, closing the doors behind me.

* * *

**Notes: **FYI – I know absolutely nothing about military ranks or titles or how the whole system works so I'm not actually sure if what Erwin just did – creating a "trainee" rank and appointing a young recruit for it – is actually allowed. In any case, whether it's allowed or not, for the sake of this story anyway, let's just pretend that it is. On a completely different note, am I the only one excited for Bonfire Night? :D

"_Yokatta" _– I'm Glad to Hear That

As always, your reviews are more than welcome! See you next update! :D


	11. A Bad Day

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **I really loved writing the part in Mikasa's POV. I just _love _her character; I think her devotion to Eren in the series is so sweet and adorable! (After LevixEren, ErenxMikasa is my next favorite SNK ship) XD I'm not quite sure how I feel about Levi's actions in this chapter. I'm just trying to keep him as much in character as I can, so please forgive me if he acting like such a total jerk. He'll get better, I promise. XD

* * *

**Chapter 11 – A Bad Day**

****Mikasa****

I _hated _that cocky, clean-freak midget.

I swear, he was hogging all of Eren's time and attention on _purpose. _

If she wasn't lugging around his laundry all the damn time, she was constantly cleaning things for him and it was _frustrating _for me because I can't even remember the last time I spent time with her before all this. It certainly didn't help that Armin barely had any time too (_**If Levi was to blame for hogging Eren, this time it was that tall blonde bastard Erwin who sucked up all of Armin's attention**_).

Although I probably shouldn't blame Armin so much, I knew she got dragged into helping out with the preparations for this stupid thing called bonfire night. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, all I knew was that it was all the younger soldiers and the 104th recruits could talk about these last few days. (_**Most especially Reiner and Connie, I think those idiots were just excited to meet some new girls. Ugh.**_)

On my part, I wasn't thrilled about the whole thing. I thought it was a complete waste of time (_**No doubt it's nothing but a stupid ploy being used by those perverts who just wanted an excuse to get some of their fellow soldiers drunk**_) and I really wanted no part of it unless Eren or Armin wanted to go.

I wasn't about to leave my two sisters in the company of those two dirty old perverts (_**In case I hadn't made my point clear, I was talking about Levi and Erwin**_)**, **who knows what could happen?!

I really did _not _like it when men stared at my sisters.

I wasn't stupid – I knew that both my sisters were beautiful (_**Eren looked just like a pretty doll with those big green eyes of hers and Armin had such a baby face that together, they drew a lot of attention from all kinds of disgusting men**_) I wasn't ignorant either, I knew that I also drew my own fair share of male attention (_**I kind of figured that much out considering that my mom was killed by human traffickers and I probably would have been sold into prostitution if Eren hadn't saved me**_) but the difference between me, Eren and Armin was that I knew how to protect myself against lecherous men.

Despite the fact that I was beautiful (_**There was no point being modest about something that was true**_), men were _also _terrified of me because they knew perfectly well I'd slit their throats and bleed them dry if they ever dared to touch me. Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same about Eren or Armin and if I had to, I would cut the hands off of _any _man who dared to lay a hand on either one of them.

And high-ranking military officers or not, that threat applies to both Levi and Erwin.

It made me seethe the way Levi spent the past few days staring at Eren (_**He was an idiot if he really thought no one else noticed the way his eyes automatically flicked to Eren whenever she entered the room**_) but what really ticked me off the most was how Eren seemed so unfazed by it all.

If I didn't know any better (_**And that was never the case, I was always spot on when it came to my sister**_), I would think that Eren was ignoring him on purpose, and I wanted to know the reason why.

Granted, I learned the hard way that it wasn't smart to disrespect any of the higher-ups (_**I was in a foul mood one morning and I completely ignored Lt. Mike when he called my attention in the halls. He made me run fifty laps around the castle for my insubordination – not like that was hard for me but still**_) but based on how I've seen her act around Levi lately, Eren seemed intent on doing exactly that.

They were usually together (_**I don't think that annoying midget ever lets Eren out of his sight**_) but surprisingly, Eren wouldn't even talk to him. I found that extremely strange (_**Especially considering how she's had that foolish little crush on him for years**_) and when I asked her about it one morning – why she never seemed to talk to Levi directly – she had reddened and changed the topic altogether.

Like just two days ago, while everyone was busy eating dinner in the food hall, Eren had been sitting with Levi and Hanji's unit. When Armin, Jean and Christa and I went over to her and asked her to join us outside, however, Levi had suddenly snapped at her that she was forbidden to go anywhere if she wasn't accompanied by him or Hanji or any other officer. Eren had flushed with anger at his words but obediently, she sat back down. Afterwards, she looked up and flashed me an apologetic grimace.

That just wasn't like my sister at all – normally, Eren would have contradicted Levi and gone with us anyway. She wasn't the type to just follow someone's orders like that without putting up a fight. Of course, I understood that we were in the military and she was _obliged _to follow the orders of her squad leader but Eren would have at least tried to protest, no matter how futile it was, before she gave in.

Something was really bothering her – and I seriously doubted that it had anything to do with Levi at all because I noticed how completely distracted she was this week.

I suppose I wasn't really one to talk, I had pretty much been on edge for the past couple of days too, though I couldn't figure out why.

It was a strange feeling – a familiar heaviness in my chest that I hadn't felt for quite some time – and truthfully, it was the real reason I was yearning so much for both Eren and Armin's company lately.

"Good morning, Mikasa."

I stiffened at the sound of the two voices that had spoken and looked up, watching as Christa and Ymir approached me and took the seats facing me across the table. By now, they had grown used to the cold, unwelcoming stare I gave them and they shrugged as they began filling their plates with food.

"Have you seen Eren or Armin?" I asked, not bothering to hide the impatience from my voice.

Christa looked up and gave me a warm smile. "I think I saw Eren doing some laundry outside with Lt. Mike's unit." She answered. "Sorry, I'm not sure where Armin is. I didn't see her this morning."

"She's with Major Hanji. I think they're out buying supplies for Bonfire night." Ymir supplied with a snort as she reached across the table for some more food. "She should be back by this afternoon."

"I see." I replied, keeping my voice devoid of any emotion as I nodded my thanks at them.

"Why does Eren have laundry duties every day?" Christa turned to me, looking confused. "I thought Corporal Levi explained to us the other day that laundry duties are rotated by squad. I just saw the Levi unit outside feeding the stable horses. Technically, shouldn't Eren be with them?" She asked.

"Because." I gritted my teeth, clenching my hands. "That clean-freak asshole has her washing _his _clothes every day like she was his personal maid." I growled, growing more furious at my own words.

"Heh." Ymir smirked at me, eyeing my angry expression with amusement. "I take it by 'clean-freak asshole' that you're referring to Corporal Levi." She snickered at the way my scowl deepened and she nodded towards the other side of the hall where Levi was. "You don't really like the guy, do you?"

I didn't even bother answering her, merely meeting her smirk with a moody glare.

"I still can't believe he hurt Eren during her trial." Christa had a worried frown on her face.

"_Who's _been hurting Eren?"

I lifted my dark glare from Ymir's amused grin and looked up just as Sasha, Connie, Jean, Reiner and Bertholdt joined our table. Jean and Reiner took the seats at my sides while Sasha sat down between Connie and Bertholdt. When I realized that it was Jean who had spoken and that he was still glaring expectantly at me, waiting for my answer, I frowned a bit and took a languid sip from my tea.

"Humanity's _Shortest _Soldier." I supplied blankly for him, flicking my narrowed eyes across the room again and glaring at the back of Levi's head from where he was sitting between Erwin and Mike.

Ymir, Connie and Reiner's eyes widened and they choked on their water as they tried to hold back their laughter but Jean just frowned at me, flicking his gaze back and forth between me and Levi.

"Why?" He demanded, annoyed as he clenched his fist and slammed it impatiently on the table. "I mean, not like I care about that suicidal bitch or anything but after how he hurt her during her trial—"

"Jean, if you ever call Eren a 'bitch' again in front of me—" I deadpanned, not even bothering to look up at the terrified cringe he gave me. "—I will personally see to it you never _ever _have children."

"Got it. No problem, I totally agree with you there." Jean immediately stammered out, flushing and hastily moving away from me just as everyone else around us burst out laughing at his reaction.

"Ahhh…Don't be such a killjoy, Mikasa." Reiner cajoled with a wink. "I think you're just upset because you don't have the responsibility of protecting Eren anymore. Since, you know – _officially – _that responsibility now belongs to Corporal Levi." He reached out and slung an arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah, you have to learn to let go _sometime, _Big Sister." Connie added teasingly.

"Reiner. Touch me again." I sipped my tea and stared at him. "And I'll slice your hand off."

"Ahhhh…Right. Uhm sure, sorry about that." Reiner colored and when he yanked his arm away from me in panic and began stammering the same way Jean did, everyone else burst out laughing again.

"By the way, you guys." Connie began as he leaned over the table and grinned widely at us. "Did you hear about tomorrow tonight? I'm all psyched up, they said there's going to be free _booze _there!"

"Really, Connie? That's all you can think about?" Ymir rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm much more excited about the food they'll be serving, actually." Sasha suddenly chimed in, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I hope there's meat! Oh and potatoes! Oh and lots and lots of—"

"_Girls!" _Reiner interrupted her with a wide, boyish grin. "I hope there's lots and lots of girls there! Oh and dancing too, who doesn't love dancing? And of course, girls _plus _dancing _plus _booze!"

"Amen to that!" Connie grinned and exchanged a high five with him over the table.

"Oh dear god." Bertholdt sighed and covered his face with his hands in exasperation. "Here they go again. Can somebody please shut these two hormonal idiots up?" He gave Jean an imploring look.

"Don't look at me." Jean snorted and leaned back against his seat, gesturing to Reiner. "He's _your _childhood buddy, you know. You should be used to his pervertedness by now." He snickered loudly.

"How do you expect me to get used to something like that?" Bertholdt countered, shaking his head. "Idiot was probably _born _a pervert, he was like that ever since we were kids!" He pointed out.

Reiner just grinned at him and reached across the table, giving him a punch on the shoulder.

"Ah, but you know you wouldn't last a day without me, Bert. Who the hell is going to protect your sorry arse all the time if I'm gone?" He pointed out, and strangely Bertholdt fell silent at that.

Jean and Connie snorted at his words, and they looked as though they were going to comment further but that was when we were interrupted again by another familiar voice – this time, I recognized who it was instantly. I looked up from my teacup, smiling slightly at the sight of Eren approaching us.

"Eren!"

She smiled back weakly at us and I watched as she made her way over towards our table. Having known her for years, I noticed the way her eyes lit up when she met my gaze. After greeting me with a brief but warm hug, she ignored everyone else's jibes and squeezed herself into the seat beside mine.

Jean had looked as though he was going to complain when Eren had pushed him away to make room for herself (_**I just gave him a glare over her shoulder. He immediately flinched and moved aside.**_)

Afterwards, I glanced back at Eren again, intent on asking her why she was late but when I saw the wretched look on her face, my glare instantly melted away into a worried frown. Around us, everyone else had resumed their lively chatter and conversation but I continued to stare at my sister, watching as she let out a sigh before she closed her eyes and leaned her head against my shoulder.

"Eren, are you okay?" I asked her gently but she didn't answer.

When I felt her frame beginning to tremble against my own, my eyes suddenly widened and I flicked my gaze sharply to the familiar, dark green knitted scarf that Eren was wearing around her neck.

That was when it hit me.

I realized what day it was today – why I had felt so goddamn bothered today, why Eren had been so out of it this whole week, and why she was suddenly wearing that old scarf again after so long.

It was the anniversary of her mother's death…Of _our _mother's death.

(_**I forgot.**_) I suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to stab myself in the chest as I reached out and took Eren's hand in mine, lacing our fingers together and giving hers a tight squeeze. (_**Oh god, how could I forget?**_) My hands shook and I closed my own eyes, feeling a stab of pain in my chest. (_**I was so focused on hating on Levi that I forgot what day it was today. God, I'm the worst sister in the world.**_)

"Eren." I whispered to her under my breath so that the rest of our friends didn't hear. "What do you say we skip our afternoon training today? Let's just spend a quiet day together, just like old times." I sighed softly and closed my eyes, resting my cheek against the top of her head. "Would you like that?"

Blinking, Eren lifted her head from my shoulder and looked at me with a worried frown.

"Are we _allowed _to do something like that?" She asked, her eyebrows fusing together.

"I don't care." I answered calmly, giving her a reassuring look. "We won't go anywhere, we'll just stay behind in that grassy area behind the stables. I doubt that anyone will look for us there." I added.

"But, the higher-ups." Eren hesitated again, still uncertain. "Won't they—"

"Most of them have a meeting this afternoon with the Commander anyway." I assured her. When she made no further move to protest, I gave her hair an affectionate ruffle.

"As long as we both do our chores and get back before dinner, I don't think it'll cause problems for us. What do you say?"

Eren met my eyes, her features stuck in a thoughtful daze. (_**By now, neither of us had any idea about the ongoing conversation of our friends around us**_) When a couple more minutes passed, the confusion in her eyes finally cleared and she nodded at me, her mouth slowly curling into a small smile.

"Okay."

* * *

****Eren****

I finished most of my chores relatively early that afternoon and after I managed to sneak away from Eld's watchful eye (_**Just as Mikasa had said, Levi wasn't there to join us that afternoon during our 3DMG training so it was easy to get away**_), I spent the rest of the day with Mikasa outside the castle.

Mostly, we just spent our time lying down on the grass, talking about nothing in particular and staring up at the sky. It reminded me of the times we used to spend together as children – back when we were in Shiganshina before it was breached. Before mom was eaten. Before we joined the military.

It was usually the three of us – me, Mikasa and Armin (_**Armin couldn't join us that day, she was busy helping out with all the preparations for bonfire night**_) and we'd spend hours talking nonsense and looking for shapes among the clouds in the sky. It didn't exactly feel the same as it did back then though (_**We weren't children anymore and I was a little worried about disobeying Levi**_) but knowing that Mikasa was still with me made me feel a bit better despite everything that happened in my life.

As we continued to stare up at the sky that evening, my eyes eventually began to close in exhaustion. Soon, when I rested my head briefly on Mikasa's shoulder, I began to daydream to myself.

I dreamt about my mom – how she loved to knit all those scarves (_**She actually made the red scarf I gave to Mikasa**_) and the look on her face everytime she'd wrap them around my neck. I remembered how she'd always tease me that green was her favorite color, and that she loved to dress me in it because it brought out the unnaturally bright color of my eyes. I remembered she'd spend hours all day by the stove, cooking our meals. I sat by the dining table and watched her. She would smile and hum in affirmation every now and then, listening to me rant on and on about everything I did that day.

Those were the kinds of dreams I wished I could have about her these days.

Because at night, when I was alone in my bed and I didn't have anything else to occupy my thoughts, I didn't have dreams – I had _nightmares. _I remembered that day in Shiganshina – the day my mom was eaten by that horrifying, _smiling _titan and I was too damn weak and powerless to help her.

Today would have marked the passing of another year since then.

It happened so long ago, and yet, not a single day went by that I didn't think of her or miss her terribly. Things would have been so much different had she still been alive and with me today. I wondered what words she'd say to me about how difficult it was to grow up. I wondered if we could have had any of those giggly conversations daughters usually had with their moms when they told them about their dreams, their fears, or even about the cute boys they really liked. I wondered how my mom would react and what she'd say to me if I got to tell her that I was in love with a man who was not only more than twice my age, but he was also my commanding officer, and he didn't reciprocate my feelings.

(_**Would she call me a foolish little girl too? Or would she tell me to fight for him?**_)

"Let's go back now, Eren."

Mikasa broke me out of my musings just then and as we both sat back up from the grass, I couldn't help but notice how dark it had gotten as we made our way back.

The clouds were gone now, leaving only a clear night sky as we walked back through the castle entrance. As we entered the food hall, I noticed that the squads were noisy and lively with chatter as usual. Strangely enough, looking at the calm expressions on the higher-ups' faces (_**Including Levi**_), I was almost iclined to believe that they hadn't noticed we were gone at all. However, when I reached my unit and I saw the reproachful and censorious glares that Petra and Eld were both giving me, I stiffened. (_**Mikasa probably noticed too, it would explain why her hand tightened protectively around my arm**_)

I was definitely in trouble.

* * *

****Levi****

I don't think any string of words could ever express how angry as _fuck _I felt as I watched Eren walk into my office later that night, a basket of my freshly washed clothes balanced in her small arms.

To add insult, the little brat didn't look in the _least _bit intimidated by the expression on my face (_**Is she avoiding my eyes on purpose?!**_) and as though to further flaunt her fucking insolence in front of me, after closing the doors behind her, she even greeted me with a nod and gave me a formal salute.

I was _pissed. _

Flicking my half-narrowed glare back to the reports on my desk, I busied myself with reading the same paragraph over and over again as I watched her from the corner of my eye. She went on about with her usual routine – cleaning both her hands and feet, disinfecting both pairs of limbs with alcohol, and then walking over to my bedroom to begin ironing out my clothes. (_**I had to admit that she had gotten so good at handling my laundry that I don't think I could ever assign the task to anyone else. Not sure if I even wanted to**_) After she had folded all of the clothes up neatly and stashed them back in my dresser, I watched as Eren wordlessly began sweeping the floors and tidying up around my office.

Eventually, however, I decided I couldn't take her goddamn impertinence anymore. Just as she was finishing up with dusting my bookcase, I _exploded_ and slammed the folder I held down on the table.

"Where the _fuck _were you this afternoon, you little brat?!"

Eren stiffened at my outburst and stared at me, her cheeks flushing but otherwise, her expression was infuriatingly calm and neutral. She bit her lip and held my gaze steadily with her own.

"I beg your pardon, Sir?" She spoke softly.

"You heard me!" I growled as I slammed my palms down on the table and stood up, walking over to her. Her eyes widened slightly but otherwise, her face gaving nothing away (_**The fuck?! How can she stand there so calmly like that?!**_). Growling, I glared at her, backing her right against the doors. When she made to protest, I scowled and placed both my hands on the door behind her, trapping her in.

"Didn't I tell you that you are _not _allowed to go off on your own without me or another high-ranking officer?! Now, can you explain _how _it was possible for Eld to say that you had gone off on your own this afternoon when every single _fucking _officer was out for the day?!" She stifled a soft gasp and flinched sharply when I rammed my fist down onto the wall near her head in my anger. "Tell me, Eren!"

"Gomen-nasai, Heichou." She whispered quietly, swallowing and lowering her gaze to the floor to avoid my eyes.

"I just really needed some time on my own today. I hope you can understand that."

"Understand?!" My expression hardened (_**She expects me to understand her insolence?! Did she forget that we're in the military?!**_) and with half-narrowed eyes, I reached down to grab her chin, forcing her to look back up and meet my glare. "Yeager, you just disobeyed a direct order from your Commanding Officer! That is a _very _serious offense! And all you can say to me is that you're sorry?!"

"Please, Sir. I meant no disrespect, but I really just needed to be alone today—"

"The other officers already found out about your stunt today, brat, they _know _you disobeyed me! Do you enjoy making me look like a fucking fool?! Do you still think this is a joke to me, Yeager?!"

Her eyes finally clouded over at that and she stared up at me, her face paling at my words. Trembling, Eren looked as though she wanted to say something but I refused to give her the chance. Pulling away from her, I sat back down behind my desk and stared blankly at her from across the room.

The next question I asked her made her slim shoulders stiffen with anticipation.

"Do you know how we punish insolence in the military, Eren?" I asked softly.

She didn't respond, her eyes filling with dread as she watched the anger flitting across my face.

"I'm sure you know _perfectly _well how this should work." I leaned back against my seat, folding my hands carefully against the table and studying the way she fidgeted nervously under my nonchalant stare. "In fact, I have half a mind to report you and turn you over to Mike right now, seeing as he's the one in charge of disciplining all the soldiers. He would _jump _at the chance to give you the fucking whipping that you deserve, you little shit. But you know, I'm not going to do that. Do you know why?"

I paused when Eren flinched and subconsciously took a step backwards from me. When she gave me a rather dubious look at my words, however, my gray eyes hardened again and I scoffed at her.

"Oh don't misunderstand me, brat. Don't even think that I'm going to let you get away with this because I'm all fucking nice, you would be a fucking fool to believe that." I arched an eyebrow when she stiffened again and lowered her eyes back to the floor. (_**Despite how I was purposely trying to intimidate her, the defiance and indignation in her expression was really beginning to piss me off!**_)

I continued. "The reason I am not going to bother with merely a physical form of punishment for you, _Brat, _is because you are a fucking _titan _and you can heal right through physical injuries easily, can't you? It wouldn't even make a _goddamn _impact on you." I saw the look of confusion on Eren's face as I stood up again, walking back towards the doors of my office behind her, locking the entire room shut.

"Frankly, whipping you won't do shit at all and it'll be fucking useless, won't it? It won't even leave a mark on a brat like you. No, that sort of thing is useless on you. I want to make sure you _never _disobey my orders again, Eren." She was positively trembling at my words now but I ignored her and sat back down behind my desk, lazily rifling through my bottom drawer for the one thing that I had in mind.

"I think…I'm going to have to discipline you myself." As soon as I had found what I was looking for, I paused and brought it out slowly, watching as fear, indignation and sheer humiliation began to cloud her flushed face. I went on anyway. "And I realize now that the kind of punishment that will be most effective for a disobedient and insubordinate brat like you is one of _humiliation. _Is it not, Eren?"

I watched as Eren bit her lower lip when it began to tremble at the implication of my words. Her eyes were wide and slightly glassy as she stared intently on the small, wooden paddle I held in my hand.

"I'm sorry for disobeying your orders, Heichou."

She whispered, swallowing audibly and giving me a quiet but imploring look.

"Please don't do this."

I tore my gaze away from her (_**Goddamn her, I hated it when she looked at me like that! I have to do this, she went against orders and she has to be punished! I'm her goddamn Commanding Officer, I have no choice!**_) I gritted my teeth and stared at her again, hating myself fiercely when I saw how chastened she looked. (_**Damn it! If I don't do this now, Erwin will order Mike to whip her. Fuck that, if Mike was the one who punished Eren, I was certain that he won't go easy on her like I fucking will!**_)

Pushing aside all thoughts of how much I really did _not _fucking want to hurt this beautiful, spirited girl in front of me (_**Christ, this is why I can never have a relationship with her. How the fuck am I ever going to be able to handle situations like this – when I have to fucking choose between her and my goddamn responsibilities as a military officer?!**_), I steeled the expression on my face and leaned back against my seat again. Quietly, I gestured curtly for her to walk over to where I sat behind my desk.

"Come here, Eren."

Surprisingly enough, she obeyed me without any complaint or protest, merely bowing her head, and in spite of the grimness of the entire situation, I couldn't help admire her courage (_**That's my girl**_).

As soon as she was close enough, I reached out and grasped her tightly by her wrist, yanking her firmly on top of my seated form so that her stomach was pressing uncomfortably against my lap and her rear was exposed to the wooden paddle I held in my other hand. When she gasped and struggled against me to try and pull away, I let go of her wrist and held her firmly in place by gripping her waist.

"Heichou, onegai!" She pleaded sharply, trying to wriggle away from me but it was no use.

"Count to ten." I braced myself and hardened the resolve in my chest before raising the wooden paddle up in the air, holding it above her rear. Against me, Eren let out soft, strangled cry and her entire body stiffened with anticipation as she closed her eyes and covered her face with both of her hands.

"One."

* * *

By the time she had counted _five_, Eren was sobbing and I realized I couldn't hurt her anymore.

She was crying, not from the pain (_**I knew that it took more than a few spanks to make her cry**_) but from the humiliation and shame I was sure she was feeling from all this. She wasn't used to this kind of punishment back during her training years with the 104th class, I was sure of that. And the fact that she was feeling so much shame and embarrassment now probably had her hating me beyond repair.

So I stopped.

"S—six—?"

Eren stiffened when I raised the paddle again to set it back on the table but when she realized a few seconds later that there was no need for her to count anymore, her trembling lessened and her harsh sobs began to recede into quiet, hushed sniffles. Slowly, I reached down and adjusted her position gently so that she was facing me and she was now sitting with her legs straddling either side of my lap.

Any other time, I would have been trying to restrain all of the dirty thoughts that would be running through my head right now (_**Give me a fucking break, she's a beautiful girl and she's straddling my goddamn lap, how the hell can I not react to something like that?!**_) but thankfully, given the seriousness of what happened, I was able to focus all of my attention on studying the look on her face.

She was glaring at me with a proud resentfulness in her tear-brightened eyes. For a moment, I forgot that I was supposed to be teaching her a lesson and I almost leaned in to claim her soft, pink lips.

I managed to catch myself just in time, however, but by then, Eren had already noticed that the anger was gone from my eyes because she began struggling, unknowingly grinding herself against me.

(_**Oh fuck, seriously?! She really had no idea how dangerous it was to do that, didn't she?**_)

"I hate you!" She hissed indignantly at me, although the anger in her voice probably wasn't nearly as effective as she would have liked because another humiliated sob tore itself from her throat.

"That's unfortunate." I drawled back in a cold, deadpan voice.

Despite her words and the way she continued to struggle against me, my hands tightened around her slender waist. I stared blankly at her, noting the fire in her eyes and tears that stained her cheeks. Gently, I reached one of my hands up and used my thumb to wipe the tears away from her face.

Eren stifled another sob and blinked up at me, her eyes clouding with angry confusion. I ignored her and cupped her soft cheek, leaning in closer so that I could press my forehead tenderly against hers.

"Now that we're done with _that._" I murmured softly as I stroked the smooth skin of her cheek. "Why don't you tell me the real reason you skipped your Maneuvering training this afternoon, Eren?"

I paused and I tried to turn her flushed face toward me so I could meet her eyes but then, Eren surprised me _again _when she suddenly stiffened and glared hatefully at me, shoving my hands away.

"That is _none _of your business!" She snapped. "It's not like you even _care _anyway!"

I wasn't sure what it was exactly (_**The harshness of her words or maybe the way she had recoiled from my touch like that – she had never done that before**_) but her blatant rejection of me caused something in me to _snap _and before I knew it, I tightened my grip painfully around her again.

My eyes hardened and I used my other hand to shove my fingers into her hair, causing her to wince in pain. When she began struggling widly against me, I growled and yanked at her hair again.

"Itai, Heichou!" She cried out, trying to move away but my arms locked her in place.

"Listen to me very carefully then, you little _brat!_" I hissed as I finally released her hair and grabbed her chin, forcing her head up so that she was staring back at me with wide green eyes. Gulping, she squirmed against me a few more times but by now, I was too overcome with anger to even notice.

"Let this be a lesson for you—" I paused and met her glassy-eyed gaze with a cold stare. "—next time, I promise you that I won't go easy on you. So if you _ever _disobey my orders again, I can fucking guarantee that you won't be able to sit for a _week. _Am I making myself clear, soldier?!" He growled.

Eren stared back at me, the expression on her face fuming with righteous anger.

. "Yes, Sir." She spat out.

"Good." I seethed.

I finally sat up and shoved her off my lap, gesturing her curtly towards the doors.

"Now get the fuck out of my office!"

As she nodded and scrambled hastily away from me, I couldn't help but notice that, in her haste to move off my lap, the dark green scarf she was wearing fell to the floor. Inertly, I bent down to pick it up and just as she had reached the doors, I flicked my hooded glare back up and called out to her again.

"You forgot your scarf."

She froze and turned around to face me just as I held the scarf up and gave her a bored glare. When the words I had just said finally sank in, Eren colored and she scurried back towards me, snatching the scarf from my hand and muttering so quietly under her breath that I almost didn't hear the words.

"That's my mother's scarf."

I listened to her soft voice and I recognized the strange heaviness in the way Eren had spoken but for the life of me, I just couldn't figure out what it all meant (_**Am I just missing something here?!**_)

So I frowned and I voiced the question in my head, causing her to stop near the doors again.

"Why are you suddenly wearing your dead mother's scarf?" I asked.

She turned around slowly to look at me, and I could do nothing but stiffen and curse myself silently in my head because that was when I finally saw it – there was grief and sadness and goddamn _misery _hidden in her green eyes – and I realized too late that I should have known the answer already.

"Because." Eren stiffened, but she didn't bother watching my reaction because she turned around again and reached for the doorknob. "It's the anniversary of her death today. And I just really wanted to wear something that reminded me of her." She opened the doors and stepped outside, never seeing the look of realization that I was certain was evident on my face. (_**Fucking stubborn little—why the fuck didn't she tell me that from the beginning?! I would have given her the day off had she asked! Fuck, why the hell wouldn't she just share that with me?!**_) Eren went on, not having seen my reaction.

"I apologize for going against your orders today, Heichou. It won't happen again."

I winced at the way she had addressed me by my rank with such cold, distant formality.

"Shitsurei-shimasu." She turned around one last time and gave me another formal nod and salute before she closed the doors quietly behind her, leaving me staring after her in stunned regret.

* * *

**Notes:** Awww…Silly little Heichou, you're really messing things up with Eren. Be careful, she just might realize that you're not worth pursuing anymore – especially since you have competition lurking in the shadows. Hahaha. Bonfire night will be in the next chapter so I hope you guys stick with me! XD

"_Onegai" _– Please

"_Shitsurei Shimasu" _– Excuse me, (or also a really formal expression you can say before exiting the room)

A big shout-out to all of you who gave me those wonderful and encouraging reviews for the last chapter. I realize that not a lot of stories are written for this particular pairing, and I'm really happy that despite that, you guys really enjoy my writing and continue to support this story anyway. I'm actually more well known for writing HP stories (Draco/femHarry in particular) so when I decided to try this pairing out, I knew there wouldn't be as big of a fanbase as for my other works. In any case, I'm hoping to change all that with this story anyway. Hopefully, we can gather more support for Levi/femEren out there! XD

As always, reviews are more than welcome! :D


	12. Bonfire Night, Part 1

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **This chapter is the longest one I've written for this story so far, and it's just the first part of bonfire night. I have no regrets! Or maybe I do, it's really hellish long. Wahaha. Oh and a fair warning to everyone before you start reading – there is a bit of JeanxFemEren in this chapter. So no haters please! Have fun! XD

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Bonfire Night, Part 1**

****Armin****

I wasn't really sure if I could call Bonfire Night a success or not.

Well, the soldiers all seemed excited to be here (_**Though that was probably because of the free booze more than anything else**_) and at least most of the higher-ups attended (_**Surprisingly even Commander Erwin and Corporal Levi. I heard those two usually boycotted this event**_). I knew that Bonfire Night was, if anything, mainly a feast to welcome all of the newest recruits so, in the spirit of things, I arranged an interesting way for all of us from the 104th class to introduce ourselves to the rest of the Survey Corps and all our new officers (_**And boy, was Mikasa pissed at me when she found out.**_)

Since we were outside the castle anyway, with only a gigantic bonfire in the middle of all the tables as light, I asked my fellow recruits to join me in front of the fire so that everyone could get a look at them. I was annoyed when only Eren and Reiner joined me at first (_**Everyone else I had to yank out of hiding**_).

Once all the 104th recruits were standing uncomfortably in front of the bonfire, I asked them all to introduce themselves to everyone first, and then mention_ three _statements to describe themselves. The objective of the game was, the other soldiers had to guess which of the three statements was false.

I was relieved when Eren helped me out by volunteering to go first.

"Alright, let's see. Three statements about myself, huh?" Eren grinned as she stepped forward and clasped her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels and pursing her lips together in thought.

I smiled at the sight, thinking to myself that Eren looked particularly happier that night than she did yesterday. (_**She had been down in the dumps lately, no doubt because of the recent anniversary of her mom's death**_) She also looked really cute and pretty too, since I had managed to convince her that morning (_**With great resistance from Mikasa**_) to wear one of her old dresses (_**like the ones her mom used to make her wear when we were younger**_). In fact, we were _both _wearing dresses that night (_**I tried to convince Mikasa to wear one too but she refused and I was too scared to convince her otherwise**_). Eren's dress was a slightly dark green color, while I wore a light blue dress made of wool.

I was pulled from my thoughts when Eren finally introduced herself to the crowd.

"Hello, name is Eren Yeager. I'm pleased to meet everyone."

With a cheeky grin, Eren faced the crowd and tilted herself down into an exaggerated curtsy.

"(1) My favorite color is green." She rolled her eyes and nudged Reiner sharply when he poked her ribs from behind. "(2) I love to sing, and (3) I can transform into a 15-meter titan." She deadpanned.

The heavy, uneasy silence that suddenly descended upon the crowd was unnerving.

All pairs of wide eyes had turned to Corporal Levi and no one dared to speak (_**I was certain I heard a cricket and a few birds chirping nearby**_), as though terrified of what would happen if they reacted first. To give him credit, Corporal Levi looked completely unperturbed by Eren's statement and he just stared back blankly at everyone before calmly raising his cup of tea and taking a long, languid sip.

Meanwhile, Mikasa and I had both stiffened, muscles tensed and ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation or movement if any of the other soldiers dared to attack Eren in front of us.

Surprisingly enough, Eren was completely unaffected by it all and she had a wide, shit-eating grin on her face as she met everyone's gaping expressions, her slim shoulders shaking with laughter. She continued to rock on her heels, waiting patiently for the initial novelty of her statement to die down.

After a few more seconds or so, it finally did and Eren was eventually rewarded with the reaction she had intended because Major Hanji suddenly slapped her thighs and burst out laughing.

This broke everyone else's awkward silence easily and caused a ripple of laughter among the other soldiers. Beside Major Hanji, Lt. Mike had spat out a mouthful of beer and he gaped at Eren, his jaw hanging open and his eyes bugging out of their sockets. Commander Erwin was shaking his head, an exasperated look on his face. Corporal Levi continued to look bored – he merely sat there, between Major Hanji and the Commander. His expression was unnervingly impassive as he watched Eren. (_**Really, does that man know how to smile at all? I don't think I've ever seen any other expression on his face**_)

"Heh. That joke didn't actually go as well as I imagined it would in my head. Gomen-nasai." Eren mumbled out loud, flashing another sheepish smile at the crowd and earning another round of laughs.

"So…Any guesses?" Eren asked as she turned back to address the others.

One of the female soldiers sitting nearby – I recognized her as the other girl also from Corporal Levi's unit – cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted, "You don't sing?" She guessed out loud.

Eren made a face. "Wrong, Petra! My favorite color is _not _green actually. It's red."

When she stuck her tongue out playfully at Petra in response, I grinned and decided to add more to her answer.

"Eren actually _loves _to sing, it's how to get her to _stop _that's the problem." I teased (_**Eren poked me sharply in the ribs but I ignored her and continued**_) "But in all honesty, she's actually a good singer."

"Oh _really_?" Petra raised an eyebrow in challenge, causing Eren to flush with embarrassment. She turned to other soldiers seated beside her and winked at them before turning back to grin at Eren.

"Would you care to sing us one song then, Yeager?" She teased, causing Eren to flush a bright pink when a whole chorus of loud cheers, whistles and catcalls erupted from all the tables around her.

"Oh god, no! No, no, no, not happening!" Eren tried to cower away and hid behind Bertholdt's tall frame but I rolled my eyes and dragged her back out, shoving her forward towards the crowd again.

By then, a drunken chorus of chants had erupted and everyone was banging their beer bottles noisily against their table in time with their shouts of "Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!". Eventually, even Major Hanji joined in on the chorus as she gave out a loud hoot of exclamation and cheered out Eren's name.

"Flaunt those vocal chords, titan girl!" She whistled, causing the flush on Eren's face to darken.

"Oh jeez, Armin! This is all your fault–let me go!" When Eren tried to yank her arm from my grasp, Commander Erwin suddenly surprised everyone when he called out to us with an amused smirk.

"Sing for us, Yeager. That's an order." He drawled, arching an eyebrow at her.

Again, the reaction from the crowd was instantaneous – I burst into giggles, Eren flushed as red as Mikasa's scarf, while the rest of the soldiers, including the 104th class, began catcalling even louder.

"You heard the Commander!"

"Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!"

"Alright, alright already!" Eren finally let out an exasperated sigh and after yanking her arm from my grasp, she turned to face the crowd again and gave them a glare. "Only _one _short chorus though!"

Despite her words, the crowd hooted loudly and Eren sighed again before she stepped forward and clenched her eyes to ready herself. Afterwards, she took a deep inhale of breath and began to sing.

"_An jenem Tag war es ein sehr feuriges Abendrot,_

_Ich versteckte die Bauklӧtze vor dir,_

_Traurige Erinnerung an meine Kindheit"_

Everyone went wild at that, cheering and shouting for her to continue. Shaking her head, Eren managed a nervous smile before she shrank behind Mikasa and Bertholdt to hide her flushed face. Still laughing, I decided to give my sister a break and went on to proceed with the rest of the introductions.

"My name is Armin Arlert. (1) I collect books as a hobby, (2) I'm very shy, and (3) I love to cook and knit during my spare time." In my case, the correct answer probably wouldn't have been as obvious and easy to point out for everyone had Eren not snorted in disbelief when I said I loved to cook and knit. (_**Because seriously?! The one thing I could never get right was anything remotely domestic in nature!**_)

One of the soldiers in front, I couldn't really remember what his name was, all I knew was that he was from Lt. Dita's unit, managed to guess my false statement correctly and Jean went next after me.

"My name is Jean Kirschstein. (1) I've wanted to join the Survey Corps since I was little, (2) I am 5'7 feet tall, (3) and out of my entire batch, I was able to get the highest score in leadership training."

"Oh what a show off." I heard Eren mutter to Sasha and Bertholdt behind me.

Unfortunately, after Jean was finished, I made the mistake of asking Mikasa to go next and she almost killed everyone's mood when she just stepped forward and said in a completely monotone voice.

"My name is Mikasa Ackerman."

And then she stepped back and gave me a blank stare, as though to indicate that she was finished. (_**Oh good god, Mikasa.**_) Groaning, I resisted the urge to slap my palm against my forehead in exasperation and glared at Eren when she had covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her giggles.

After everyone managed to guess correctly which statement was wrong for both me and Jean, and eventually, for Christa, Ymir, Connie, Sasha and Bertholdt as well (_**Apparently we all found out that Christa was scared of spiders, Ymir liked girls – well, we all kind of knew that already – Connie liked to cook, Sasha liked dancing, and Bertholdt played the guitar. Commander Erwin also made sure that Sasha and Bertholdt showed their talent off before they were allowed to end their turn**_), we watched as Reiner stepped forward. He was the last one to speak and he was grinning as he winked at the crowd.

"Hey. My name is Reiner Braun. (1) Bert and I have been childhood friends since forever, (2) I graduated as the 2nd top student from our entire trainee class, and (3) I have a really hot girlfriend."

There was another round of interesting reactions from the crowd – halfhearted 'booos' and a few snide comebacks, mostly from the female soldiers. In spite of himself, Reiner ended up laughing when Connie and Jean shoved him from behind. Eren was clutching at her sides, overcome with hilarity.

"You are _one of a kind, _Braun!" Connie clapped him on the shoulder, still grinning.

Ignoring their antics, I sighed and I shooed them all away back to their seats. Afterwards, as I switched on the music and gave the go signal to everyone else that they could all start drinking or dancing the night away, the crowd of soldiers went wild again and that's when the real party began.

Immediately after all our introductions, a group of rowdy soldiers from Lt. Dita's unit stood up and immediately went straight for the stash of liquor. Meanwhile, some of the members of Major Hanji and Nanaba's unit cheered and stood up, initiating a loud, rowdy drunken dance around the bonfire.

Laughing at the unexpected chaos of the scene unfolding around us (_**Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect that such a respectable unit of the military such as the Survey Corps could get this rowdy when drunk**_), Eren yanked me down onto the seat between her and Mikasa. She tried to tell me something but by then, the music had gotten so loud that it took her a few tries before I understood.

"This is _wild!_" She exclaimed, her eyes wide as she took in the mess of drunken soldiers around us. "Who would have thought Erwin-Danchou would actually allow us to have a night like this?" She ignored Mikasa's protests and took a sip from the small bottle that Connie handed her. She winced at first (_**Is she drinking beer?!**_) before she continued.

"And here I thought the Commander was nothing but a boring, stuck-up jerk with a stick shoved up his ass. I guess he's not so bad after all." She mused loudly.

"Eren." I frowned at her and grabbed the beer bottle from her hand, holding it away from her. "First of all, you really shouldn't drink alcohol, nothing good will come out of it and it'll only get you intoxicated. Secondly—" I paused when Mikasa yanked the alcohol bottle from me and threw it back at Connie across the table. "—I really don't think you should be disrespecting the Commander like that—"

"Armin." Eren cut me off with a scoff and rolled her eyes, glaring at both me and Mikasa for taking her beer. "The only reason you're defending him now is because he's going to promote you—"

"Shhh!" I flushed a bright, tomato red and glared at her, frantically shaking my head. "That's not sure yet, they still have to evaluate me! And blast it, Eren! I thought I told you not to blurt that out—"

"Did I just hear you girls right?!" Reiner suddenly cut me off from a few seats away. He ignored the way Bertholdt was nudging his arm sharply to restrain him and continued. "Arlert's being promoted by Commander Erwin?!" He reached out across the table and grabbed my wrist, holding it up in the air.

"Woot! You're the man!" He cheered, taking a swig from his beer and slamming it down on the table.

"What?! How the hell—why is he promoting _you?!_" Jean demanded with a scowl.

"Oh congratulations, Armin!" Christa grinned and pulled me into a tight, affectionate hug.

"When you get promoted, will you have access to the officer food stash?" Sasha asked excitedly.

"Oh my god. Not everyone was supposed to know yet!" I groaned and covered my face with my hands for a few seconds before looking up and glaring at Eren's sheepish expression. "Eren! You suck!"

"Armin." Mikasa was frowning at me and shaking her head. "I don't like the idea of you spending so much time with that man. I don't trust him." She told me with a straight face. (_**I rolled my eyes at her words – that was really no surprise to me, Mikasa didn't trust anyone except for me and Eren anyway**_)

By now, the group of soldiers who were dancing near the bonfire had gotten significantly bigger than when it first started and I recognized a few faces in the crowd – Moblit and Keji, both from Major Hanji's unit, were dancing with two girls from another unit. Further inside the crowd, I recognized Petra. She was laughing and dancing with a tall guy who wore a cravat and was also from Corporal Levi's unit.

Further down the tables, I failed to notice when my gaze strayed and only when I was looking straight at him from several yards away did I realize that I had spent the last few minutes staring dazedly at Commander Erwin. (_**Oh wow, nice going, Armin. Now, he probably either thinks you're attracted to him or that you're absentminded. Really good for your evaluation report**_) It wasn't a secret that Commander Erwin was good-looking, I knew that much. He was tall, I think over 6 feet, muscular, and he had such incredibly refined features that a lot of female soldiers gossiped about him in the showers all the time (_**I have been unfortunate enough to overhear some of their more…raunchy conversations**_), but the fact of the matter is, he was my Commanding Officer (_**Not to mention the Commander of the entire Survey Corps!**_) and it was really inappropriate to think of him that way (_**And I wasn't even factoring in the whole age difference into the equation**_). I figured it was better to keep my distance.

That certainly didn't mean I couldn't admire him from afar though – I had always admired Commander Erwin even when I was a child. Although, I wouldn't go as far as to say that I admired him the same way and with the same intensity that Eren admired Corporal Levi, that was completely different. I admired Commander Erwin because he was someone I could look up to – someone strong and smart and charismatic. He was a natural born leader, and I really wanted to be like him one day.

All those games Eren and I used to play before as children seemed so silly to think about now (_**I would never tell Commander Erwin that I used to pretend to be him, that'd be so embarrassing!**_). Now that I was actually here in the Survey Corps with him, and I had a chance to impress him for real and gain his respect, I fully intended to do everything in my power and capacity to become indispensable to him.

* * *

****Levi****

I really had to stop staring.

I was getting the impression that Hanji already knew who I was staring at (_**She was smirking at me, that four-eyed freak**_) and I could tell that Erwin was getting a little irritated about how I was only half-listening to what he was telling me about our upcoming expedition but I just couldn't help myself.

It was the first time I had seen her in a dress and she looked _really _adorable – pretty, even – and fucking hell, I was trying very hard not to show how irritated I was about that. It didn't help when I noticed that horse-faced boy named Jean hovering so close to her and it actually took several attempts on my part for me to restrain myself from ordering Eld or Petra to watch over Eren closely that night.

I really did _not _want to allow Eren to walk around freely on her own like this (_**I had witnessed enough bonfire nights to know exactly how rowdy and crazy these soldiers could get after a few cases of alcohol**_). Best case scenario, her friends would watch over her anyway and I wouldn't have to worry. Unfortunately, worst case scenario was – someone drops a fucking spoon and the brat transforms into a titan in front of everybody and causes a goddamn catastrophe. I really hoped that would _not_ happen.

"Aw why are you so edgy and scowling like that, shorty?" Hanji peered at me through her glasses and shook her head. "You should ease up. We're going outside the walls again in a few days, the soldiers deserve this night. Let's just sit back and let them enjoy themselves." She told me with a smile.

"Tsch." Was all I managed to get out, not even bothering to cast a glance her way.

A few meters away in front of the bonfire, all the new recruits of the 104th class were introducing themselves and I watched impassively as the crowd forced Eren to sing a few short verses from a song. She eventually gave in and began to sing, and though I wasn't sure what language it was (_**I think it was German?**_), all I knew was that her voice was enchanting when she sang and I barely even noticed that my eyes had softened as I listened to her. I couldn't help wondering if I could ever get her to sing for me like that when we were alone. (_**She's never going to sing for you, you fucker, so just get your head out of the clouds.**_) Almost as soon as that thought appeared in my head, I pushed it away.

I found it so strange at first – how she looked so sweet and innocent the way she did when she sang like this, especially with those goddamn eyes of hers – but that same innocent singing girl could transform into a _fucking _15-meter tall titan that could crush and kill dozens of people with just swing of her arm. Christ, I think the mere fact that Eren Yeager even exists was just life's way of playing a fucking joke on me. (_**Here you go, Levi - since you're so good at killing titans anyway, here's a titan in the form of a beautiful girl. Oh I forgot to mention, she's also in love with you. That won't be a problem right?**_)

"Tsch." I was broken out of my thoughts when Erwin suddenly called over that blonde girl, the one I always saw Eren with, to our table. I was forced to look up so he could introduce her to all of us.

After she reached us and greeted us all with a formal salute, Erwin nodded and gestured to everyone at our table. "Everyone, this is Armin Arlert. She graduated top in academics and strategy in her class. I believe I've already mentioned her to you before." He turned to Armin smirked slightly. "I'm sure you're familiar with your officers?" He raised an eyebrow at her, immediately causing her to blush.

"D—Daijoubou, Danchou! I know everyone, arigatou." She shuffled her feet and looked up, giving all of the officers a nervous smile and nod. "I'm really happy that you could all make it tonight."

"Great job with the preparations, Armin." Hanji winked at her. "I apologize if I left most of the planning to you but we were all really busy with the upcoming expedition. In any case—_" _She turned to Erwin. "—you should include planning and organization skills in her evaluation, Erwin." She told him.

"How old are you, Armin?" Nanaba, who was sitting on Mike's right, asked curiously.

She colored at the Squad Leader's question and answered hastily. "S—sixteen, Ma'am."

"Hmm." She shrugged and took a sip from the bottle of beer she held in her hand. "I swear, these recruits keep getting younger every time." She turned to Erwin. "That other blonde girl you assigned to me – what was her name? Christa Lenz? Also just sixteen." Nanaba shook her head at that.

"Age shouldn't matter. You're still responsible for them." I pointed out with an impassive stare.

"Heh, that's my point, Levi! Do you think I'm happy about the fact that I'm responsible for the life of a sixteen-year-old?!" Nanaba glanced at Armin again and gave her an apologetic smile. "Gomen, I don't mean to sound so condescending. In any case, we're glad to have you onboard with us, Armin."

"Arigatou, Nanaba-san." Armin nodded at her before turning back to Erwin.

"I won't keep you any longer. I just wanted to personally thank you for doing a good job of arranging this for us, Armin." Erwin gestured her to where her friends were sitting. "You're dismissed."

"Thank you, Sir." Armin rewarded him another smile, blushing again before she excused herself with another salute and walked back over to join her friends. As soon as she was gone, Hanji and Mike met each other's eyes before they both turned and stared pointedly at Erwin with a questioning look.

I couldn't hold back the smirk on my face as I voiced their thoughts out.

"Erwin." I addressed him, causing him to look up and narrow his eyes warily at me. "The last time I saw you favor a soldier this much was when you recruited _me _into the military." I paused, and I noticed that the smirk on Hanji and Mike's faces matched mine. "The difference between that and _now, _though, is that I wasn't a sixteen-year-old blonde girl with a pretty face." I arched an eyebrow at him.

To my surprise, the humor in his expression vanished and his stance went completely formal as he tore his eyes from mine. Instead of answering me, he reached for his bottle of beer and stood up.

"Somehow, Levi, I really don't think you're the best person right now to make inappropriate insinuations about stuff like that. Don't you agree?" He drawled, giving me a rather strange, pointed look. Before I could attempt to recover from my shock long enough to answer him, however, Erwin had already turned away and headed for the surrounding tables around us to mingle with the other soldiers.

* * *

****Jean****

I hadn't really anticipated that this night could get any worse, but I suppose when you combine alcohol, loud music, _and _Reiner and Connie at the same time, the results were bound to be disastrous.

Sometime after his third consecutive bottle of beer, Connie slammed the empty bottle down onto the table stood up, declaring loudly that he was challenging everyone to a game of Truth or Dare.

Of course, being the _smarter _guys, Bertholdt and I both protested against this but Reiner (_**Being the stupid shit he was, let me make that perfectly clear**_) let out a whoop and cheered in agreement.

"Oh you are _so _on, Springer!" Reiner yelled out, swaying drunkenly as he stood up.

"Uh….guys." Armin looked nervous and apprehensive. "I don't think that's a good idea—"

"I think that's a brilliant idea! We can use this!" Eren grinned as she grabbed the empty bottle from Reiner and set it down on the center of our table. "Alright, so who's in? I'm spinning this thing!"

"Are you _serious?!_" I gaped at her, not sure I heard her right. "How old are you guys?!"

"Why not?" She turned to face me directly (_**Since I was sitting directly across from her, I got a really close look at her face and I blushed slightly**_) "What are you chicken, Kirschstein?" She challenged.

"I'm _not!_" I growled back, tossing a piece of fried potato at her. (_**Who the hell was she kidding?! I wasn't afraid of anything! How dare she challenge me?!**_) "I was just thinking about _you, _Yeager! Are you sure you can take me on?!" I retorted, causing Eren to roll her eyes and let out a derisive snort.

"Hey!" Sasha protested as she grabbed the potato I had tossed at Eren and wiped it on her sleeve. "Don't waste good food, you two! This is a perfectly cooked and _delicious _potato!" She huffed.

"For god's sake, Blouse." Connie rolled his eyes at her. "Do you ever think of anything else?"

Sasha reddened and stuck her tongue out at him before munching happily into her potato.

"Eren, I don't think you should join that game." Mikasa was frowning and she was about to yank the empty bottle away from Eren but the brunette just rolled her eyes and moved it out of her reach.

"Come on, Mikasa. Don't spoil the mood!" She made a face at her sister before she ignored everyone else's reactions and span the empty bottle on the table with an excited squeal. "Here we go!"

"Hey, now just wait a minute—" The rest of my protests died on my lips as we all watched the bottle spinning on the table in front of us with bated breaths. A hushed silence fell over our group and we waited until the bottle began to slow down, pointing directly at Armin's shocked and flushed face.

"Oh my god." She grumbled miserably under her breath and sank into her seat.

"Armin!" Connie's expression was devious as he turned to the blonde girl with a leer.

"Truth or Dare?" He asked.

Armin stared blankly at him for a few moments (_**The rest of us were still absolutely quiet at this point. We all wanted to hear what Armin was going to choose. Honestly, I expected her to choose 'Truth' – since that was what she always chose before back when we were still trainees**_), and we were all thoroughly surprised when she set a firm expression on her face and met Connie's grin with a glare.

"Dare." She answered, though her voice shook slightly in her nervousness.

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Armin?" Eren gaped at her but Armin ignored her reaction and glared warningly at Reiner and Connie when they shot each other identical grins and whispered amongst themselves. Bertholdt was sitting directly between them and he was slouching in his seat and shaking his head, as though he was genuinely and _physically _pained to be there.

"Alright." Connie's lips twitched as he folded his hands on the table and shot Armin an innocent smile. "Just so we're clear…Who was the last higher-up that you spoke to in the last hour?" He asked.

"Er." Armin fused her eyebrows together in thought at first before saying, "Commander Erwin."

"Oh my god!" Reiner began snickering loudly and Bertholdt colored, shaking his head again but Connie ignored them. His grin just widened and he leaned over the table, looming over Armin's form.

"Okay then…I dare youto walk over to Commander Erwin and ask him to _kiss _you."

"What?!" Armin's immediately went as red as Mikasa's scarf. "I can't do that!" She screeched.

"Of course you can!" Connie insisted as the rest of us (_**Including me**_) burst out laughing. "You can just tell him it's for a dare, he won't mind. Now go on, go on! He's right over there!" He stood up from his seat and began pushing her towards the table of officers a few meters away. When Armin colored even darker and tried to struggle against him, Connie just shoved her with a grunt of exertion.

"Go!"

"Ugh." Armin gritted her teeth and we stared at her as she trudged over to where Commander Erwin was standing by the officer's table and conversing with Corporal Levi and Lt. Mike. When she got there and Commander Erwin turned to her in surprise, we all held our breaths and watched as she gave him a polite smile. The pair conversed for a while and though, I noticed that Corporal Levi and Lt. Mike both looked taken back by what she had just said, Commander Erwin just looked exasperatedly amused.

After giving her a wry look, he nodded and then he leaned down and planted a very quick kiss onto her cheek. Then, just as a completely red-faced Armin was walking back to our table, Commander Erwin, Corporal Levi and Lt. Mike all turned their heads and shot a glare at us. It caused for us the same reaction as looking directly up at the sun – the entire 104th class suddenly tore their wide-eyed stares away and pretended to busy themselves with fiddling with their hands, whistling or staring at the table.

"Who's next?!" Reiner drew everyone's attention again as soon as Armin was back in her seat.

This time, when the bottle stopped, it was pointing directly at Mikasa's blank expression.

"Mikasa! Truth or dare?!" Connie challenged her loudly, slamming his fist on the table.

"This is stupid." She deadpanned, and she was about to turn away from him when Eren suddenly grabbed at the sleeve of her shirt. When Mikasa glared at her, she began whining pleadingly.

"Awww… Come on, Mikasa!" Eren begged her, tugging even harder at her shirt. "Do this with us just this once. It's all for the sake of fun." She added imploringly, to which Mikasa sighed with defeat.

Readjusting the scarf around her neck, Mikasa glanced at Connie and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Truth." She said flatly.

"Alright." Connie and Reiner shared a smirk with each other before the former turned back to Mikasa and gave her a wide, teasing smile. "Among all the guys here, who would you hook up with?"

Mikasa neither blinked nor blushed at their question; or any of our inquisitive glances at her.

"I don't want to hook up with anyone." She answered in a blunt, straightforward voice.

"Come on, I don't believe that!" Reiner complained loudly. "Are you even human at all?!"

"I don't want to hook up with anyone." Mikasa repeated calmly, not even flinching.

"But—!" Connie had looked as though he wanted to protest again but then, that was when Eren cut him off by kicking him under the table. He yowled in pain at that, gripping his shin and glaring at her but Eren just rolled her eyes at him and grabbed the empty bottle again with a decisive nod of her head.

"Springer, if Mikasa says she doesn't like anyone, then she doesn't like anyone. That's the truth, she's not the type to lie about something like that." Eren pointed out bluntly. "Now, can we move on?"

"That was boring." I heard Ymir whisper rather dryly to Sasha and I couldn't help but agree. (_**Is Mikasa really that cold? I've never seen or met anyone who was as emotionally detached as she was**_)

The next unfortunate person who was chosen by the bottle was Christa. Surprisingly enough, the blonde girl chose 'dare' instead of 'truth' and despite Ymir's angry glares at him, Connie was smirking evilly as he folded his hands on top of the table again and gave Christa a mischievous smile.

"Alright then, Lenz. I dare you…to sit on Bert's lap for five whole minutes!"

"What?!" Ymir immediately shot out of her seat and she would have lunged at Connie had Eren not reached out and grabbed her by the arm to restrain her. "You bald son of a bitch! I'm going to—"

"I—it's fine, Ymir." Christa was blushing horribly as she sat up from her seat and made her way over to where a horrified Bertholdt had stiffened with dismay. (_**Poor bastard. I could just imagine how awkward this will be, especially with Ymir looking like she wanted to snap his neck in half.**_) I snickered and watched as Bertholdt resigned himself to keeping completely still as Christa slowly sat down on him.

Another hushed, awkward silence fell on the group again and what was supposed to be five minutes seemed much more like one _hour _(_**Most especially for Christa, I would think**_). As soon as it was over and Christa suddenly pulled away from Bertholdt as though he was on fire, we ended up laughing. Afterwards, Eren finally released her grip on Ymir's arm so that she could pull Christa back into her seat.

When we spun the bottle again, it landed on Sasha next. She chose dare, and this time, Reiner surprised us when instead of letting Connie think of what to make her do, he gave her a teasing wink.

"Sasha, didn't you say you really liked that apple sauce back there?" Reiner asked innocently.

"Err…Yeah." Sasha reddened under his intense stare and glared back at him. "So what?"

"I dare you—" Reiner's grin widened and Sasha stiffened when she saw the twinkle in his eyes.

"—to lick that apple sauce from Connie's cheek."

Sasha almost spit out the whole mouthful of potato in her shock. "What?!"

"Huh?!" Connie was also glaring at Reiner, looking embarrassed. "Braun, what the fuck?!"

"Oh I _have _to see this." Eren suddenly straightened from her seat and she sat up, watching the exchange happening around her with a wide grin. Beside her, Armin was still as dazed, hopelessly red and as thoroughly flushed as she was awhile ago when Commander Erwin had kissed her on the cheek.

I noticed this (_**Not everyone did but then again, I was always so scarily observant. It was another one of those skills that I had that helped me score high in leadership training**_) but I decided not to point it out to the others anymore. Luckily, most of them were more interested in watching as Sasha, who was blushing horribly red by now, got up from her seat and walked shakily over to Connie.

To my amusement, even Connie's face looked just as red as Sasha's and he was cringing as Eren reached out and used a spoon to smother a small amount of apple sauce against the side of his jaw. Reiner and Ymir catcalled at this, laughing hysterically, while I just grinned and sat back against my seat.

Surprisingly enough, Sasha actually went through with it (_**Though with the way Connie was shifting uncomfortably the whole time, I could tell he was going to need a really cold shower before he went to bed tonight. Heh.**_) and as soon as she sat back down, she covered her face with her hands and whimpered in humiliation. Still giggling loudly, Eren reached out and spun the bottle on the table again.

This time, it landed on Eren.

(_**Well, now things just got interesting.**_)

Reiner and Connie both grinned evilly at each other, their eyes gleaming with mischief. Flicking my gaze to Mikasa, I noticed that she had stiffened and that she was gritting her teeth with anticipation.

"Alright, Yeager." Reiner slung an arm around Eren's shoulders, his eyes landing on the bottle of whiskey in front of them. Eren raised her chin and met his eyes, unperturbed by everyone else's stare.

"Truth or dare?" He asked.

Eren scoffed in disdain and crossed her arms haughtily over her chest.

"Dare."

"Right." Reiner flicked his gaze thoughtfully at Eren for a few seconds before his expression turned decidedly devious. He turned his head very slowly until he met Mikasa's glare, and he winked.

"I dare you…to drink _five _straight shots from this whiskey right here—" Reiner ignored the way Armin suddenly had to restrain Mikasa to her seat. "—without stopping." He added with a wide grin.

"Eren!" Mikasa angrily blurted out, her features creasing with fear and panic. "Don't you dare!"

"Ha, seriously?" Eren arched an eyebrow at him, looking disappointed with his dare. "That's it? All I have to do is drink five shots from this bottle right here? Heh, this is pretty lame." She ignored the way Mikasa was still struggling very frantically with Armin and reached for the bottle in front of her.

I couldn't let her do it though (_**What was I supposed to do? Let her do it without warning her? She's going to get drunk!**_) so I snatched the bottle away from her, much to Connie's disappointment.

"Aw…Come on, Kirschstein!" He complained, rolling his eyes. "Don't be a killjoy!"

"Jean, what the hell?!" Eren snarled and she ignored the incredulous glare I gave her as she snatched the bottle back from my hand. "Mind your own business, I can handle myself!" She snapped.

"What?!" I spluttered indignantly. (_**What the hell?! I was trying to help her!**_) "I'm just trying to help out here, Yeager! Unless you _want _to get drunk?!" I pointed out, yanking the bottle back from her.

"Oh don't be so melodramatic." Eren's eyes flashed and she glared at me (_**Damn it, she's really cute. Argh the hell, Kirschstein?! Focus!**_) "I'm not going to get drunk from just five shots!" She retorted.

"Eren." Armin interrupted us, and I was relieved when I saw that she was also giving Eren a reproachful glare. "You don't seem to understand that whiskey is pretty strong. I really don't think—"

"Oh calm down, everyone. It should be fine." Eren ignored the throttled sound that came from Mikasa's throat. She snatched the bottle of Whiskey from me again and she poured herself a full shot.

I glared at Reiner, my eyes narrowing when he just offered me a sheepish smile and shrug. Then, I cringed helplessly to myself as I watched Eren toss her head back and down the whiskey in one gulp. (_**Oh good god, I could not even fathom a single scenario where all this liquor could possibly end well.**_)

* * *

****Levi****

I was not enjoying myself.

I really _hated _Bonfire Nights (_**I swear, I don't even understand why Erwin continues to let this happen every year, I found it really stupid and fucking pointless – a pathetic excuse for soldiers to get drunk and get laid every year.**_) and if it wasn't for the fact that Erwin was, surprisingly, still here, I would have probably gone up to my room already. I had better things to do with my time after all, and I wasn't about to waste another damn minute with these drunken, idiotic animals dancing all around me.

Even _Hanji _seemed to be enjoying herself (_**She had left the officers' table and was hanging out with her unit, talking animately to Moblit about god-knows-what. Probably another random useless bit of titan shit or something**_). Mike was still sitting across from me, observing his surroundings with a guarded but otherwise amused expression on his face as he took in all the rowdy dancing and cheering.

Meanwhile, Erwin was still spending his time going around and interacting with the different tables (_**I don't get why, it was probably one of those Commander duties or some other shit like that. Something about needing to be on good terms with all your troops or something. Seriously, who the fuck cares? Heh. This is probably why I'll never make a good Commander**_). He did spend a much longer time sitting with the new recruits though, and from where I was seated, I could see that he was talking to that petite blonde girl who had asked him for a kiss awhile ago. (_**What was her name again? Armin?**_)

"He likes her." Mike muttered under his breath beside me, causing me to glance lazily at him.

I stiffened at the sound of his voice (_**I had forgotten he was there actually**_) and when I looked up, I followed his gaze and watched as Erwin continued to talk to Armin for a bit longer. When she said something – I wasn't sure what it was, she just looked sheepish as she said it – Erwin actually laughed.

"How can you tell?" I turned to Mike and gave him a suspicious glare.

"It's pretty obvious. It's in the way he looks at her." Mike scoffed, rolling his eyes as he took another sip from his beer. "Heh. I thought Erwin-Danchou was more into the 'sexy' and 'womanly' type_._" He snorted and I couldn't help flinching at the sound of his bottle slamming back down onto the table. "I actually thought that 'cute' and 'pretty' was really more _your _type, Levi." He snickered under his breath.

I stiffened and my fists clenched when I felt warmth rushing into my cheeks.

"Well it is, isn't it?" Mike's smirk only widened at my reaction and he gave me another shrug. "Don't feel bad about it. Personally, I go more for 'cute' than 'sexy' myself, so I understand where you're coming from. Though—" He frowned slightly as he lifted his gaze and stared at the new recruit table again. "—you should reconsider. I mean, behind her pretty face, she _can _still shift into a titan you know."

"Mike." I gritted my teeth (_**I couldn't fucking stand it, I hated it when people tried to pry into my personal life! I get enough of that from Erwin!**_)

"How I feel about Eren is none of your fucking—"

"Heichou!"

I was cut off from the rest of my carefully thought out warning (_**Perfect timing too, I really didn't want to have to resort to beating up another officer in the middle of the party. Erwin would skin us both alive**_) when Petra came bounding over towards me, her light eyes gleaming with excitement.

I acknowledged her curtly, though my expression was still cold and hard as I glared at Mike from the corner of my eye. He watched Petra drag me away from the table with an amused smirk on his face.

"Heichou, come on! You have to dance with me, just _once!_" Petra ignored the warning look in my eyes and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the bonfire. "Please! I love this song!" She urged.

"Shit." I cursed as I was dragged around and I stumbled slightly when Petra yanked at me again. Frowning, I glared irritably at her and tried to pull my hand away from hers. "Petra, I said I don't dan—"

"Don't you _dare _tell me you don't dance, Heichou." Petra gave me the same pointed glare she always gave Auruo and I winced, unused to being on the receiving end of it (_**Damn. No wonder Auruo was always scared of her**_) "This is the first time I've seen you attend bonfire night. I demand a dance!"

"I don't—" I tried to protest again as Petra pushed me to the crowded area in front of the castle where a lot of the other soldiers were dancing drunkenly around the bonfire. When I noticed the way everyone was swaying with the romatic music and that they were all pairing up, I stiffened even more.

"Petra." I made sure to speak in a harsh, commanding voice this time, making Petra stop just as she was assuming a dancing position and wrapping her arms around my shoulders. "I _told _you I don't—"

"Eren!" Petra suddenly blurted out, glancing at another couple over my shoulder

I immediately tensed and looked up at the sound of her name (_**I had no idea why my heart suddenly felt the insane urge to slam into my ribcage**_). Sure enough, as I lifted my carefully hooded gaze from Petra and stared blankly at Eren's wide green eyes a few feet away from us, I felt a dull ache in my chest and I had to force myself to look completely impassive when I noticed that she wasn't alone.

Her youthful face was flushed and her eyes looked slightly disoriented and a bit languorous (_**Though I wasn't sure if she really was sleepy or if she was actually drunk – in which case, that really pissed me off**_). In fact, the only thing that kept me from sweeping her up in my arms and carrying her back inside was Petra's arm still wrapped around my shoulder (_**Not to mention the fact that Eren was still kind of not speaking to me after what happened last night**_). Also, the fact that Eren was currently dancing with Jean Kirschstein wasn't helping my mood at all. Slowly, I drew my gaze higher until I was glaring at the younger man, examining him from head to toe and sizing him up with a sneer on my face.

(_**Alright, so he's a lot taller than me. He looks weak and puny – and scared of me actually – is he sweating? Heh. I bet if I took him on right now, Eren would see just who the better man is – what the fuck, Levi?!**_) I interrupted my thoughts and forced myself to listen to Petra and Eren's conversation.

"Oh…Hi. Petra. Levi-Heichou." Eren greeted us both with an awkward nod. I couldn't quite make out the strange expression on her face when she noticed Petra's arm wrapped around my shoulders.

"Having fun, Eren?" Petra arched her eyebrows and glanced pointedly at Jean behind her.

"O—oh, uhm." Eren flushed even darker and she managed a nervous laugh as she gestured to Jean. Pushing all thoughts of my jealousy aside, I definitely did not fail to notice the way she swayed dangerously on her feet as she did this (_**Fuck, is she kidding me?! That stupid little brat really is drunk!**_). Fortunately – or maybe unfortunately, I wasn't really sure right now – Jean seemed perfectly aware of his partner's intoxicated state because he kept his arm firmly around her waist to help keep her upright.

"Y—yes, I am. This is Jean, he's a friend. Or actually he's _not _a friend. He's an ass – hic – I hate his guts." She hiccuped again before giggling and turning back to Jean, pinching his cheek. "I call him horse-face because he has a horse-face. But that's okay because he calls me suicidal bitch." Grunting with embarrassment, Jean reddened at her words. He shook his head and gave us an apologetic look.

"Gomen-nasai, Heichou. She's not making any sense right now. She's had a lot to drink—"

"Oh yeah!" Eren interrupted again, giggling and stumbling into Jean's arms when she tried to step toward him (_**I had to restrain myself when my eyes zeroed in on the hand Jean had around her waist**_) "—we're playing Truth or Dare now! Connie dared Jean to dance with me because we hate each other's guts! So here we are, dancing and hating each other!" She grabbed Jean's free hand and twirled him around, nearly causing them both to stumble when she had accidentally tangled her legs with his.

"Yeager, stop that! You'll get us both sick, you idiot!" Jean blurted out in a high-pitched voice but Eren was already yanking him away from us and leading him towards the crowd of dancing soldiers.

A few minutes after the pair had gone, I reluctantly brought my hooded gaze down to stare blankly at Petra. She had stiffened at my expression and by now, she had retracted the arm she had around my shoulders and stared intently up at me, a quiet, knowing look in her eyes as she studied the dazed expression on my face. Strangely, I wasn't even aware that I had been holding my breath just then and when I let out an exhale and looked back up, I saw that Petra was giving me an exasperated glare.

I knew what she was thinking, but all I found myself capable of doing for the next few seconds was to stare vacantly at her, trying to ignore the jealous ache that was forcing its way into my chest.

My entire body went cold and rigid, and completely numb.

I felt _stung._

Petra gave a snort at the stunned look on my face before she spoke. "I'd ask you for permission to give you my honest oninion, Heichou, but as I'm certain you won't grant it anyway, l'll speak freely." She landed a hard punch to my shoulder, breaking me out of my stupor and causing me to glare at her.

"Go after her already, _baka._"

* * *

****Eren****

I wasn't sure exactly _when _I had lost control of my motor senses – I think it was sometime between Reiner daring Jean to dance with me and seeing Levi and Petra together, her arms wrapped intimately around his shoulders. (_**What the hell was wrong with me? Petra likes him, and he obviously likes her back so they actually have mutual feelings for each other! That's a real relationship, Eren!**_)

Or maybe it was after I had dragged Jean closer to the bonfire with the other soldiers and I had wrapped my arms around his neck and he had reluctantly wrapped his around my waist. He kept a surprisingly firm grip around me as we began swaying to the music (_**I would never admit to him that I was thankful for that, my balance and hand-eye coordination was really fading fast. Heh, so this is what alcohol does to you, huh? No wonder Mikasa looked so worried awhile ago**_). Clenching my eyes shut, I concentrated on keeping my feet steady on the ground as I felt my vision spinning around me.

Strangely, when I managed to open my eyes and I looked up at Jean again, I noticed that the expression on his face was more worried than mocking and he was studying me carefully (_**Oh honestly, I was just tipsy, why was everyone so worried?**_). He was trying to say something to me and I frowned, asking him to repeat it and speak louder above the music. It took me about five minutes before I was able to make out the words (_**That was when I realized that my sense of hearing was beginning to fuck up as well**_) and another five minutes before I was actually able to make any sense of them in my head.

"Are you okay?" Jean was eyeing me intently. "We're done with the dare. We can go back now."

"I'm fine!" I slurred back (_**Oh god, is that my voice? Do I really sound like that?**_) "I'll be fine, I just feel a little dizzy from that stupid whiskey. Ugh, I swear I'll get Reiner back for this." I murmured.

"No, you're not." Jean argued, shaking his head as he stared into my half-closed eyes. "Your eyes are all hazy, Eren. Seriously, you look really drunk—" He was cut off when I accidentally stumbled on my own shoe and I would have fallen to the ground had Jean not tightened his grip around my waist.

"Gomen." I mumbled apologetically, cringing as I was forced to hold myself back up.

"Put your arms around my shoulders." Jean ordered as he gathered me back up. "It'll help you keep your balance, at least." He told me, and having lost any ability to think clearly, I did exactly that.

As I wrapped my arms around him, however, and I closed my eyes and rested my cheek against his shoulder, I couldn't help thinking grudgingly to myself how we were in the exact same position I had seen Levi and Petra in awhile ago, and before I knew it, I felt that familiar ache in my chest returning.

The truth was, seeing them so close together like that kind of hurt (_**I was thankful, at least, the alcohol helped to dull the pain a bit so I was able to hold myself together in front of them**_). Though I was still really angry with Levi for humiliating me like that last night and I _hated _the fact that he could be so callously cruel and cold one second and so protective and caring the next, but really, despite everything, I knew that when it came down to it, I could never hold a grudge against him for too long.

I really hated how I was so naïve and foolish when it came to him.

"Uhm…Eren?"

I was broken out of my thoughts by Jean's voice again but this time, when I opened my eyes and stared blearily up at him, I realized that his face was mere inches away from mine and that I was, inadvertently, snuggling my cheek against his shoulder. I blinked a few more times, trying to focus my vision even as it was beginning to grow hazy amidst the glow of the bonfire (_**Where were we again? Oh right…The bonfire…That party…Why were we dancing? I…can't remember**_.) Jean had already stopped moving with the music and he was staring at me, his features creased together into a concerned frown.

"Eren, are you okay?" He asked again, cupping my cheek and turning me to face him.

"Hmm?" I stared back blankly at him, unable to see or think clearly.

I had lost my ability to speak, as well as any sense of awareness or reason at that point, and all that seemed to matter to me in that precise moment was that his lips were so near mine – a few mere inches away – and it made me wonder how a first kiss was supposed to feel like (_**Would it make my knees weak? Take my breath away? Make my heart pound so fast, it would burst out of my chest?**_)

All I knew and all that really _mattered _to me right then and there was that I wanted to kiss him – to pull him down against me, lean in close and press my mouth against his, molding our lips together.

And so I did.

The kiss felt so strange and weird at first. It was mostly wet and messy, like we both couldn't figure out what we were supposed to do with our lips or with our tongues, but after awhile, it felt _nice. _

We kissed softly for a while, hesitantly and uncertainly – I had no idea what I was doing or if I was doing any of it right – but as he didn't seem inclined to pull away from me, I leaned in closer and experimented a bit by kissing him deeper. His arms tightened around my waist in response and he pulled me closer against him, molding our bodies together tightly as the kiss grew even more heated and more passionate, the both of us melting against each other as we kissed again and again and again.

The last thing I remember before my body's consciousness finally began to slip away was that, just as he was lifting his lips from mine and we were staring into each other's eyes, I whispered his name.

"Levi."

And then everything went black.

* * *

**Notes: **Oh my god, Eren had her first kiss! Squeee! But gasp! It wasn't Levi! Serves him right! XD Poor Jean, that must have hurt! More to come in the next chapter, I promise! I was planning to include a little more of ErwinxArmin next, though I haven't decided what to do yet. Maybe some of you have ideas you can throw at me? :D

"_Baka" – _Stupid or Idiot

The German song Eren sang in this chapter was from the SNK Soundtrack. It's called **Bauklötze** by **Mika Kobayashi**. It's a really nice song; you should all listen to it. Oh and speaking of songs, just another bit of useless info for you all - while I was writing this chapter, I stumbled upon the most _perfect _song that I think really captures Levi and Eren's relationship. It's "_**Hero / Heroine" **_by _**Boys Like Girls**_. Oh my god, you guys seriously have to listen to it and listen closely to the lyrics, it just makes my heart melt! XD

Again, thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews you continue to keep sending in! Your support means the world to me and I do hope you continue to read and review this story! See you next time! :D


	13. Bonfire Night, Part 2

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **And the horrible night of heartache and Levi's frustrating denial continues. Hahaha. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Bonfire Night, Part 2**

****Jean****

There were three things running through my mind in that moment.

The first one was that Eren was utterly drunk as a skunk and she would have fallen to the ground had I not caught her in my arms when she keeled over in the middle of our kiss. Secondly, the fact that she was actually the one who initiated that kiss gave me an indication that she was, at least in one way or another, a little bit attracted to me and that I might actually have a shot with her after all.

Unfortunately, the third realization that _really _gripped me was that after she kissed me, she _also _called me by the name of her _commanding officer. _(_**Seriously, how the hell was I supposed to react?!**_)

Honestly, it hurt like hell.

And I wasn't sure _how _else to feel. As I held Eren's limp form in my arms right after and blinked rapidly a few times, staring blankly ahead of me, all sorts of questions began racing through my head.

(_**Holy titan crap, was she in love with Corporal Levi?! Are they having some kind of secret relationship or something?! Is that allowed?! For the love of Maria, Eren…Really? You want me to compete against Humanity's Strongest Soldier?! He's like, how many years older than you?! Damn it!**_)

Back during our training days at the Academy, I had already known about Eren's little crush on Corporal Levi (_**In fact, I think everyone in the 104**__**th**__** class knew**_). It was obvious even in her sparring, because I saw that she had patterned most of her moves and counter attacks from Levi's fighting style.

Without even realizing it, my arms tightened around Eren's small frame and I began shaking with anger as I held her against me, thinking back on the past few days with a newfound sense of clarity. Suddenly, it all made sense to me now why Corporal Levi always seemed to want to keep Eren nearby.

My eyes darkened and I gritted my teeth as I thought back on all those subtle signs I had noticed between the two of them (_**Noticed, but I had intentionally ignored because I didn't think it could ever be possible**_). How Corporal Levi always assigned Eren the chores that kept her physically close to him throughout the day (_**I mean, really? He could rotate those laundry duties of his to the others, there was no reason for him to assign that task specifically to just Eren**_), how Eren never said anything or harboured a grudge against her squad leader – even despite the fact that he had publicly beaten her up in front of the entire military during her trial. Or even how Corporal Levi's harsh expression always seemed to soften whenever he was looking at Eren (_**And how Eren smiled at him all the damn time!**_)

It was all slowly coming together in my head and it all made sense.

Somehow, I got the feeling that if Corporal Levi told Eren to jump off a cliff, she would actually do it (_**She might even ask him how high he wanted her to jump, damn him!**_) and that really, _really _hurt.

It wasn't fair.

Levi wasn't the right man for her – he was too jaded, too cynical and too harsh for Eren. He was cold and callous and damn it to hell, Eren needed someone who could match her intensity and passion for life. She needed someone who was as spirited as _she _was, not an angry and distrustful man like him.

He was too old for her; he would never be able to change his ways.

I was still young; I had my years ahead of me. (_**Assuming, of course, that I wasn't killed by a fucking titan anytime soon. Especially during that upcoming expedition they were all talking about**_)

I could still grow up to be the right man for her.

Damn it, it really, _really _wasn't fair.

By then, I was so caught up in the sharp ache that was slowly seeping its way into my chest that I barely noticed that a person had stopped in front of where I stood and had been staring intently at me for the last five minutes. Slowly, I lifted my eyes from Eren's unconscious form and looked up. My breath caught and I tensed when I recognized Corporal Levi's impenetrable gray eyes. (_**Shit. Exactly how long has he been standing there? Did he see everything?**_) Although he wasn't saying anything, and he didn't _look _inclined to say anything, I found myself unable to meet his gaze for fear of seeing his reaction.

He wasn't moving.

He just stood there like a statue, and from his stance, I got the feeling that he had been on his way to us when he just froze up. His features were formed into the same blank mask that I had seen on his face so many times before, but strangely enough there was something very different about that look in his eyes. I didn't know him well enough so I couldn't tell what emotion it was (_**Was it pain? Remorse? Or maybe even regret?**_) or what he was thinking. All I knew was that something was _very _off about him.

"Levi-Heichou?"

Somehow, I managed to keep my voice steady as I spoke, adjusting Eren carefully so that she was draped over my arms.

He continued to stare, and I doubt he even understood a word I was saying.

"We were just…Eren is—" I cut myself off when I found myself staring blankly at him again and for the life of me, I could _not_ think of a damn thing to say (_**What could I say to him anyway? That she spoke his goddamn name while in the middle of kissing me?! That he was one lucky son of a bitch?!**_)

"How long were you standing there, Sir?" I asked quietly.

"Long enough."

I got the hint that he wasn't quite keen on this conversation so I fell silent at that. After a long moment– both of us staring awkwardly at each other – he cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"I uh—" He paused when his words came out croaked and raspy and cleared his throat again. "—I was just coming to check up on that titan brat." Corporal Levi paused again and he reluctantly withdrew his gaze from me and stared at Eren's unconscious form in my arms. Despite the way he was desperately trying to hide it, the pained look in his eyes when he gazed at Eren was more than obvious now (_**I still can't believe I never noticed it before**_).

Despite everything else, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him when I saw how conflicted he looked in that moment – how he seemed to be having some kind of inner struggle with himself on whether or not he should even approach me and Eren at all.

He kept his eyes averted from me so I couldn't really see his expression but even then, the way he kept shooting Eren these strange, worried looks and the way he kept taking these tiny, uncertain steps toward us before hesitating and moving away again gave me a pretty good idea about how he felt.

And dear god, as much as I really, _really _wanted to, I couldn't hate him for it.

"I just…Well." Corporal Levi hesitated again and he flicked his eyes back and forth between Eren and the guarded expression on my face. "I was just checking…Is she going to be okay?" He asked quietly.

"She passed out." I answered carefully, avoiding his eyes. "But she'll be fine."

"I see." He swallowed, his eyes never leaving Eren's face. "What happened?"

It took me a few minutes before I was able to find my voice again to answer him.

"We were playing a game of Truth or Dare, and Reiner dared her to drink some shots." When he didn't say anything in response to that and he merely crossed his arms over his chest and continued to stare at Eren, I continued. "Don't blame her, Heichou. This is the first time any of us has ever had the chance to drink alcohol—"

"I'm not blaming her." He interrupted me with a defeated sigh.

Before I could say anything else, he stepped toward me and raised a hand, his fingers hesitantly reaching for the lock of hair that had fallen into Eren's eyes. He stopped before he even got to touch her, however, and as though waking himself up from a dream, his clenched his hand in mid-air and he flicked his eyes up to stare blankly at me.

"Make sure she gets plenty of water." He averted his eyes again and stepped away, retracting his hand and folding it at his side.

"That brat catches a cold easily when she gets dehydrated."

I acknowledged his words with a stiff incline of my head.

"I know, Sir. I've lived with her for more than three years now."

Corporal Levi suddenly stiffened at my words (_**For a second there, I thought he was going to snap at me for my cheekiness**_) but to my surprise, he didn't say anything. Instead, he merely gave me another curt nod before he turned around and disappeared through the crowd of soldiers behind us.

* * *

****Armin****

Mikasa's mood didn't really improve much since that evening's Truth or Dare session.

Things had _definitely _taken a turn for the worst when Jean had come back after another one of Reiner's dares (_**This time, he had dared Jean to ask Eren to dance – relatively tamer than what he had asked the others to do, actually.**_) and he was carrying a very drunk and unconscious Eren in his arms.

Not only had Mikasa _exploded _(_**I actually thought she was going to maim Jean, thank goodness she didn't!**_) but she had gone completely hysterical, practically screaming and hissing out interesting curse words at both Reiner and Connie about how Eren wasn't used to drinking and how she was going to castrate them both after she finished taking care of Eren (_**I couldn't help it. I had to laugh at that**_).

Unfortunately, as Eren remained unconscious for the rest of the night, Mikasa would no longer let either of us out of her sight (_**Which was really unnecessary by the way. I wasn't as reckless as Eren was so I wasn't about to just get myself drunk like that!**_). Thankfully, I managed to convince her to stay a bit longer with me for the rest of the party (_**As**__** worried as I was about Eren, I couldn't just leave. Especially since I was actually the one assigned to oversee this night by Commander Erwin**_)

By the time it was midnight, most of the soldiers, including the 104th recruits, and some of the officers had gathered in a semi-circle around the bonfire, roasting marshmallows and drinking beer. I sat beside Mikasa and Eren, listening to some of the older soldiers telling stories to one another over the fire.

Meanwhile, Eren was still completely knocked out cold, and Mikasa had her head cradled carefully on her lap.

Major Hanji had spent the last hour regaling the younger soldiers with hilarious stories about all the officers back when they were still cadets. One of the more interesting stories was how she said she had once made the mistake of accidentally splashing mud onto Corporal Levi's shirt. Not only had Corporal Levi been completely furious but, according to Major Hanji, he went completely _hysterical _with panic. He ripped the shirt right off himself, grabbed the Major by the collar and then hurled her across the food hall.

The impression it gave us all of the highly obsessive, clean-freak Corporal was hilarious.

To almost everyone's surprise, as Major Hanji went on to tell her next story, Commander Erwin came over to join our group. He sat himself down onto the vacated seat beside mine (_**Damn it, Sasha said she was just going to raid the food table but she never actually came back!**_) and rolled his eyes when Major Hanji winked at him.

Then, with a cackle, her eyes brightened as she turned to the crowd of listeners again.

"Oh, I have a _good _one about Erwin." Major Hanji's cheeky smile was unrelenting.

Commander Erwin visibly stiffened at her words and I bit my lip to muffle my laughter.

She chose to ignore him and continued.

"I remember – back when Erwin wasn't Commander yet, one of the young girls on his squad – I won't mention who – had this really bad crush on him—"

"Hanji." Commander Erwin growled warningly at her but she went on anyway.

"—and he was so desperate to avoid her that night that he hid in the stables so that she wouldn't find him. Unfortunately for him, it was nearing lights out and so when we locked the stables—"

"—I ended up having to sleep there for the entire night." Commander Erwin finished wryly for Major Hanji as he interrupted her in the middle of her story with an exasperated sigh. He winced and shook his head at himself when almost the entire circle of soldiers erupted into laughter. (_**I snuck a glance at Eren at that, making sure she was still sleeping soundly and that the commotion didn't wake her**_) "Honestly, Hanji. How many times are you going to tell that story every single goddamn bonfire night?!"

"Well, it's _funny_!" Major Hanji grinned at him, causing everyone to chuckle again. "When we found you the next day, you were sleeping in the same bed of _hay _your horse was eating from!" She snickered again. Commander Erwin levelled her with a disgruntled glare and let out a grunt of disgust.

I stifled my giggles and hid my face when he turned to glare at me.

"It wasn't funny." He grumbled.

"Oh but it actually _was._" Nanaba chimed in from beside Hanji. "When he came up to Levi the next day for breakfast, smelling like a horse, I actually thought Levi was going to shriek with disgust."

"I think he did." Major Hanji snickered.

I stifled another giggle at that and turned to Mikasa beside me, wanting to see her reaction. When I saw that she wasn't paying attention to the group at all and that she was still watching Eren with a worried frown on her face, I sighed and checked my watch. (_**Well I guess things are already winding down. Maybe I can ask the Commander if I can leave in half an hour so that I can help Mikasa carry Eren back to her room**_)

As I turned to my left to talk to Commander Erwin, however, I realized a second too late that he was actually leaning over to tell me something. I ended up accidentally bumping my head against his.

_**SMACK!**_

_ "_Okay."He pulled away from me instantly, wincing and clutching at his head. "That hurt."

"G—gomen, Danchou!" I flushed as I immediately straightened and turned to him with wide, horrified blue eyes (_**Oh god, that was so embarrassing!**_)

"Gomen, that was my fault! I'm so sorry—"

"Daijoubou, Armin. Relax." Commander Erwin chuckled, an endearingly boyish grin on his face as he turned back around to face me. (_**Okay, I'm still blushing and now I'm staring. Stop it, Armin!**_) "_I'm _sorry, that was my fault." He paused at that and peered over my shoulder at Eren's unconscious form. "I was just going to ask you if Eren's okay. She's not really looking so good over there." He commented.

"I don't think so, seeing as this was her first time to drink alcohol." I followed his gaze, my features creasing into a slight frown (_**By now, the attention that Major Hanji had initially directed at the Commander had been drawn back to her. Now she was telling the crowd another story about when she and Nanaba had first met**_) "I warned her not to take that stupid dare from Reiner but she wouldn't listen—"

"Ah right. Truth or Dare." Commander Erwin smirked as he leaned back against his seat and took a long sip from his beer.

"In my experience, nothing good ever really came out of that childish game."

He cast a sideways glance at me and I found myself blushing at his words again (_**I don't know why but strangely, I really didn't like the idea of him thinking of me as childish**_), shifting uncomfortably. When he looked away and my gaze involuntarily flicked to the stick of marshmallows he held in his other hand, I couldn't help it (_**He talks about being childish but he's actually roasting marshmallows over the fire right now like an oversized kid. It's actually kind of a bit cute.**_), I laughed.

He froze up and stared at me, his eyes widening in confusion at my strange reaction.

"What's so funny?" He asked curiously.

"Forgive my cheek, Danchou." My lips twitched as I lifted my head and glanced at him again, rewarding him with a wry smile. "But the next time you talk about being childish, you might want to do so while you're not roasting marshmallows over the fire like that. Otherwise, it looks really funny." I quipped at him.

As soon as the words had left my mouth and I saw the way his face blanked out, I was almost afraid he was going to call me out and snap at me for teasing him (_**What were you even thinking saying that?! Did you forget he's the Commander?!**_) but to my surprise, he laughed, a hint of red staining his cheeks.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice, actually." He rewarded me with a lazy grin before he retracted the stick of marshmallows he held in his hand and he held it back up with a sheepish cringe. "Actually, one of my big weaknesses is my sweet tooth. I _really _like sweets. Unhealthily so." He added.

"Really?" I was genuinely piqued at that (_**I never would have guessed that Commander Erwin would have a sweet tooth. That is so weird.**_) and I watched as he began poking at the marshmallows on the stick one by one, trying to see which one was the most roasted. "What kind of sweets do you like?"

"Anything. I like _all _kinds of sweets actually. As long as it has sugar, I'd be happy to eat it." He grinned at me again and shrugged. "Luckily, I don't get to eat too much of it. I think it goes without saying that we don't really get a lot of sweets in the Survey Corps, especially since sugar is so damn expensive and hard to come by these days. So I eat as much of it whenever I can." He winked at me, and I laughed.

"When we were in Wall Sina for a meeting a few weeks ago, Levi and I were actually lucky enough to come across a store with some chocolate bars left. Though, I was rather surprised he bought one – I never pegged Levi to be the type to like chocolates." He chuckled and shook his head again.

"Honestly, one of the reasons I don't complain about having to go back and forth to Wall Sina all the time is because I get the chance to buy more of that stuff." He admitted with a rather rueful sigh.

I smiled, watching as he continued to poke one by one at the marshmallows on the stick he held into the fire. When this persisted for more than a few minutes, however, I arched an eyebrow at him in amusement and I cleared my throat, waiting until he lifted his gaze back up and noticed me.

"Uhm…Danchou." At the expectant look he gave me, I bit back another round of laughter.

"You look like you're having some trouble. Would you like me to help you with that?" I asked him innocently.

The incredibly relieved expression on his face was so priceless that I almost giggled again.

"Yes, please. Arigatou." He flashed me another embarrassed smile before handing the stick of marshmallows over, watching intently as I roasted them directly over the fire.

As soon as one of them was roasted enough, I reached for two pieces of graham crackers from the plate in front of us and sandwiched the marshmallow directly between them. When I looked back up at him and I saw the curious look on his face, I handed him the sandwiched marshmallow and smiled.

As he took a bite from the sandwiched marshmallow, the expression on his face suddenly softened and for a second, he looked about ten years younger when he turned and smiled back at me.

"It's really good." He mused. "Where did you learn that?"

"My grandfather used to give me all sorts of sweets when I was younger." I told him shyly.

He nodded, taking another bite before he handed me the remaining half.

"O—oh." I immediately blushed and shook my head. "No, that's okay, Danchou—"

"Take it, Armin."

If I wasn't mistaken, there was a hint of an order in voice (_**Unfortunately, I couldn't really tell if that was intentional or not**_) so I reluctantly took the sandwich from him and I popped it into my mouth.

We fell into an awkward silence after that. As I began roasting another marshmallow into the fire, his expression suddenly turned serious and he began to study me closely.

"Where are you from again, Armin?" He asked curiously.

"Shiganshina, Sir." I answered easily, looking up to meet his gaze.

"I see." He nodded, though I shifted in my seat again when he didn't lift his gaze from me. "I'm just really curious, so I hope you'll forgive me for asking." He arched an eyebrow at me. "You don't strike me as the type of girl who likes fighting. What made you decide to join the military anyway?" He asked.

"I joined because of _Eren _actually, Sir." I surprised myself when I smiled shyly at him, my expression softening at his incredibly astute observation. "Back then, when the three of us – me, Eren and Mikasa – were refugees after Wall Maria was breached, we promised Eren that we'd follow her wherever she decided to go. We made a pact that we would always protect each other no matter what."

He remained silent at that, accepting the sandwiched marshmallow I handed him with a nod.

"Eren has always protected me before." I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat when I was suddenly struck with a memory (_**Eren dying in front of me, her dismembered arm falling to the ground as she was eaten alive by a titan after she saved my life**_). That image still haunted me in my sleep every night and I wished more than anything that I could prevent it from ever happening again.

"The reason I'm here now is because I want to make sure I do all I can to protect her too. I owe my life to her. After all, she and Mikasa are the only family I have left." I admitted in a soft, quiet voice.

I noticed that he had a strange, unreadable look on his face so I watched him intently, trying to gauge his thoughts. Unfortunately, he noticed my intention easily and he tore his gaze away from mine.

To my right, Mikasa was watching us closely, her narrowed eyes burning holes into my back.

"About Eren, I have a few things to go over with you for next week's expedition actually." The humor and boyish smile I had seen him wear only seconds ago had disappeared entirely from his face. He straightened from his seat and glanced at me with a grim look. "I'll need you to come to my office tomorrow night."

"Yes, Sir." I failed to hide the disappointment from my voice as I nodded to him (_**It was unsettling how effortless it was for him to switch from one mask to another. It kind of makes me wonder if he's ever really genuine with the emotions he shows on his face. Or if maybe, it's all just an act for him to get other people to trust him easily**_), watching quietly as he finally stood back up from his seat.

"I'd better get going then—"

"Sir." I interrupted before he could leave, drawing his attention just as he was excusing himself. "Permission to leave the party and escort Eren back to her room?" I asked him in a formal tone of voice.

"Granted." He shot a look at Eren over my shoulder and turned back to me with a brief nod. "Go ahead; I think the party's about done anyway. Thank you again for arranging this, Armin." He added.

"Of course, Sir." I was just about to turn back to Mikasa and Eren to help them both sit up when Commander Erwin called out to me again, causing me to freeze up and turn back around to face him.

"Thank you for the marshmallows, by the way."

Before I could even process his words, he reached down and gave my blonde hair an affectionate ruffle, causing me to blush and gape at him in disbelief. He ignored my reaction, however, and chuckled at the completely stunned and embarrassed expression on my face.

"Somehow, I get the feeling that you're not going to be good for my sweet tooth at all."

* * *

****Eren****

If I somehow make it through this night, I swear I was never going to drink – or even _look _– at another bottle of alcohol ever again.

(_**And people actually like to drink this shit for fun?! Fucking hell**_.)

My stomach was churning, lurching and twisting over and over again, and I could barely keep myself upright as I let Mikasa and Armin help me back inside the castle. Eventually, my limbs began to feel heavy again and when I couldn't stand without swaying, Mikasa swept me up in her arms and carried me the rest of the way (_**Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I was going to regret this in the morning – everyone was bound to tease me. Especially Reiner, I'll kill that cocky little shithead!**_)

Armin was trailing closely behind us, her expression worried as she stared at me (_**I was certain my face was turning green at this point, I really didn't feel so good. Oh god, I'm dying.**_). Groaning in pain, I clenched my eyes shut and concentrated on keeping my food down and not throwing it all up all over the castle floors as Mikasa continued to carry me downstairs towards my room in the basement.

Just as we turned into the narrow corridor that led to the stairs going to my room (_**Oh dear god, please no more sharp turns, I was having trouble keeping my food down enough as it is**_), I groaned out loud again and squinted my eyes open just as I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure a few feet away.

He was still too far for me to make anything out (_**and quite frankly, my eyes were still not working properly**_) but I knew right away it was Levi. Perhaps more than the fact that he was probably the only male soldier I knew short enough to match my height; it was also in his stance. I spent years memorizing and admiring every single thing about Levi. And despite the fact that I was drunk as a damn skunk (_**Alright, I admit it. I'm goddamn wasted, okay?!**_), it wasn't difficult for me at all to recognize him.

(_**Oh no, is he angry with me? Is he going to punish me again?**_)

I stifled another groan of pain and closed my eyes as he neared us, still too embarrassed to face him after what happened last night.

Honestly, I felt too sick to think straight or figure out how I was supposed to act around him.

All I knew was that – out of all the officers I could throw up on – I really, _really _did not think it would be a good idea to end up throwing up on Corporal Levi (_**Just thinking about his reaction is enough to give me shivers**_). Maybe I should just focus on keeping my mouth shut as tightly as possible.

"Oi, you brats! Where the fuck do you think you're going?!"

Levi's angry growl made Mikasa stop dead in her tracks and she turned around slowly to face him, careful to keep me cradled tightly in her arms. As she did this, the world seemed to spin around me again and I let out an involuntary whine and clutched onto her even tighter. (_**Oh god, I just said no more spinning me! I swear, I'm going to throw up any minute now, I can feel it!**_) Grunting, I opened my eyes, noting that Armin had also stopped beside Mikasa and was staring up at Levi with a nervous grimace.

He had stopped directly in front of Mikasa, his blank, narrowed eyes taking in my drunken state.

It was Armin who spoke first.

"Heichou, we were just going to bring Eren back to her room so she could get some rest. Major Hanji told us that we could find her room down that hall." She explained.

I closed my eyes again and stiffened when I felt Levi's hooded gaze lingering on me. I couldn't make out what he was saying to Mikasa – all I knew was that Mikasa sounded really angry and that the two of them argued for quite some time before Armin finally interrupted them with a frustrated sigh.

"Mikasa! Just…Give Eren to Corporal Levi. It's more important that she gets some rest right now, we're not in a position to complain." Armin was saying calmly to Mikasa in an attempt to placate her.

I felt Mikasa's arms tighten around me. "Armin, I'm not going to give Eren to him—"

"I'll bring her to her room." Levi interrupted her with a calm, bored drawl. "I was going to go outside to fetch the brat anyway, I still need to chain her up before I can get some sleep." He added.

"You still chain her up?!" Mikasa screeched at him, making me flinch at her high pitched voice. Her eyes went ablaze with utmost fury. "What did she ever do to you for you to chain her up like that?!"

"How about the fact that she can shift into a goddamn titan?"

He stared back calmly at her, matching Mikasa's infuriated expression with a bland look.

"I chain her up every night to protect the other soldiers." He added in a blunt voice.

"Besides, that stupid brat is wasted as fuck now, who knows what could happen? It's better to be safe than sorry."

"So instead, you choose to chain her up like a dog?!" Mikasa countered him angrily.

When Levi spoke again, his angry voice caused my breath to hitch in my throat. (_**Or maybe that was just vomit already making its way up my throat. Ugh, that's disgusting. I'm really going to die!**_)

"I don't have to explain myself to you, brat. Now hand her over."

He walked over to Mikasa and began to reach for me, only to have her give out an angry noise of protest and clutch onto me even tighter. She watched, her features twisting into a hateful scowl, as Levi yanked me possessively into his arms. At this, I stifled another whine, pressing my face against his cravat. (_**Oh please stop! I don't care who takes me, just please don't jostle me anymore! I'm going to be sick!**_)

"I'll take care of her."

Levi lifted his gaze and glared back calmly at Armin and Mikasa with narrowed gray eyes.

"Now get lost, you fucking brats."

* * *

It took a few minutes and more than Levi's most intimidating glares before he was able to convince Mikasa and Armin to back off and allow him to carry me the rest of the way back to my room (_**I wasn't really paying attention at that point, all I really wanted to do was to get some rest and sleep**_)

My eyes were still closed by the time we got to my room and I groaned in protest again when Levi accidentally tilted me as he was opening the door. He mumbled an apology under his breath before he began to carry me back inside my room, setting me down gently on top of my bed. I tried to say something to him, at least to mumble out some form of 'thank you'. Unfortunately, as soon as I had opened my mouth, my stomach lurched dangerously again and I felt bile beginning to build in my throat.

(_**Oh god, oh god, oh god here it comes!**_) I slapped a hand over my mouth and my eyes snapped open in pure panic. I stared pleadingly at him, already anticipating his disgusted expression. Surprisingly enough, Levi neither looked disgusted nor angry with me. Instead of jerking the hell away from me like I expected he would, he gathered me in his arms again and hastily began carrying me to the bathroom.

"Just hold on. Let's get you away from the bed first." He spoke gently and if I wasn't mistaken, there was real concern laced in his voice as he set me down near the sink.

The arms he had wrapped tightly around my waist held me upright as I slammed my hands down to the side of the sink, clenched my eyes shut and proceeded to completely empty out all the remaining contents of my stomach. (_**Oh my god, this must be so disgusting for him. Why did he have to see me like this?! Ugh this sucks.**_)

Behind me, Levi had freed one of his hands around my waist and used it to hold my hair back as another wave of nausea overtook me and I continued expel from my mouth what felt like every single internal organ in my body (_**When will it stop?! Am I going to die now?! No more vomiting, please!**_)

It felt like _hours _before all that painful lurching in my stomach began to settle down and when it finally stopped and my shoulders slumped in exhaustion, I felt _disgusted _and utterly _humiliated _with myself. Levi was still holding my hair back behind me when I opened my eyes. Slowly, I reached out and twisted open the faucet so as to wash away the disgusting sight I had left all over the white sink. Afterwards, I lifted my head up weakly so that I could meet his eyes through the mirror in front of us.

"I think I'm _dying_, Heichou_._" I managed to croak out, my eyes blurring with frightened tears.

"You're not dying, Eren." To my confusion, the impassive look he gave me through the mirror was one that was tinged with a hint of gentle amusement. Instead of saying anything else, he reached his other hand up and gathered my hair back tenderly so that most of it was held away from my face.

"No, but I am." My head was throbbing with pain and the room was beginning to spin again. "I really think going to die, Heichou. I think I've been poisoned."

A panicked sob tore itself from my throat.

"You're not poisoned, brat." He chuckled, stroking my hair and using a clean wash cloth (_**Huh? When did he even get a hold of that?**_) to wipe gently at my face. "What you're feeling right now is the effect of all that alcohol you drank. I'd lecture you about drinking that much, especially for your first time, but I think you've learned your lesson. You're going to get a horrible hangover in the morning."

"What's a hangover?" I asked in a frail, hoarse voice.

"You'll find out." He teased.

"Ugh."

I would have asked him what he meant but then, my stomach lurched violently again and before I could help myself, I leaned over the sink and resumed another round of throwing up. As soon as it was over, I closed my eyes. My knees buckled, and Levi wrapped his arms around me again to keep me up.

Without saying a word, he wiped my face with the wash cloth again and he began carrying me carefully to the shower. After he set me down on my feet and switched on the water, he turned to me.

"Will you be okay to shower by yourself or do you need me to help you?" He asked quietly.

When I blinked up at him, he added hastily. "I won't look, I promise. I won't take off your clothes—"

I nodded weakly and extracted myself from his arms. "I think so."

"Alright. I'll go and get you a fresh towel." He stepped back and began making his way towards the doors.

As soon as he was gone, I slowly peeled off the dress I wore and stepped under the water.

It took me a bit longer than usual to shower and wash myself off properly (_**I still had a hard time keeping my balance**_). When I slid open the shower door about fifteen minutes later and peeked outside, Levi was waiting for me. He handed me the towel in his hands and turned around, waiting until I was completely covered before he helped me slink back slowly towards the sink.

Afterwards, he waited until I finished brushing my teeth before he swept me up in his arms again and began carrying outside towards my bed.

* * *

****Levi****

As soon as I laid Eren's half-dozing form on the covers, she closed her eyes immediately. Sighing, I reluctantly jostled her awake a few times, forcing myself to look away from her exposed body when the towel wrapped around her began to unravel and reveal glimpses of her smooth, moistened skin.

"Eren." I spoke gently, tucking a damp lock of brown hair behind her ear. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to go up to my room to shower and change into a clean set of clothes." When she nodded at me (_**I suspected she had no idea what the hell I was saying**_), I added. "Can you change while I'm gone?"

She nodded again, murmuring something incoherent in response but still not bothering to open her eyes.

Reluctantly, I pulled back and made my way towards the doors. Despite the way I had teased her, after the scene I'd just witnessed in the bathroom a few minutes ago, I wasn't about to let her spend the night alone like this. I fully intended to be back as soon as possible so I could watch over her.

To my surprise, it took me less than fifteen minutes to rush back up to my room, take a quick shower (_**The shortest fucking shower I've ever taken in my life. Damn you, Yeager.**_) and change into a fresh new pair of clothes. Afterwards, when I re-entered Eren's room and I saw that the little brat was still in the exact same position I had left her in (_**And yes, she was still wrapped in only a fucking towel**_), I let out an exasperated sigh and ran a hand through my hair in frustration. Cursing under my breath, I made my way over to her dresser, rifled through it a few times, and pulled out a clean pair of pajamas.

By the time I came back, Eren was whimpering something in her sleep again (_**Something about her head hurting and that she was really going to die**_) and I couldn't help holding back a smile at that. I loathed to admit it (_**It wasn't like I enjoyed laughing at her misery**_) but I found that she was kind of adorable when she was like this – a whining and sobbing brat that needed someone to take care of her.

When she whimpered again and turned to the side to snuggle her cheek against her pillow, I shushed her gently and dropped a feather light kiss onto her forehead. She quieted down immediately after that, and when she fell asleep again, her soft breaths evening out, I stiffened with anticipation.

(_**The fuck is your problem, Levi?! It's not like you've never seen a woman naked before.**_)

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I took a steady, inhale of breath to calm myself before I reached a hand out and began unwrapping the towel around her slender form.

My fingers visibly shook as I did this, and when heat began to seep into my face from arousal (_**Okay, fuck. She's right, I admit it. She is most definitely NOT a child anymore.**_), I forced myself not to stare too long at certain parts of her exposed body (_**Her skin feels really soft. Smooth and unscarred. Is it her titan healing that prevents her from having any battle scars?**_). Somehow, I managed to slip the pajamas onto her unclothed figure.

By the time she was fully dressed, I let out a sigh of relief and reached over to pull the blankets over her sleeping form. Instead of leaving the room, however, I took that opportunity to sit beside her on the bed and lean over her again, stroking her hair out of her face and admiring her features up close.

As I stared dazedly at her slightly parted lips, I couldn't help the image that suddenly flashed in my head – the one of Eren earlier that night, when I had seen her locked in a passionate kiss with none other than Jean Kirschstein. (_**I couldn't get that fucking image out of my mind but I knew I had no right to feel betrayed or angry. In fact, I had no fucking right to say anything at all, wasn't I the one who kept pushing her away, telling her to look for guys her own age?! I should be happy about this. Maybe now, she'll finally have someone who can help her forget about that ridiculous crush she has on me.**_)

A sharp stab of pain suddenly shot through my chest at the thought of Eren forgetting about her feelings for me and I couldn't help it. I began thinking to myself about how it would feel like if Eren suddenly _did _forget about me and she started to like boys her own age – maybe even Jean Kirschstein.

I imagined the bright, cheerful smile she'd have on her face (_**The same one she used to give me every morning when I came down to her room to unchain her**_) when she greeted him every morning, or the way she would undoubtedly kiss him with those sweet lips of hers all the time. Or maybe even the way she would show him how much she loved him every goddamn _night _and how they would hold each other intimately as they fell asleep, only to wake up staring into each other's eyes the next morning.

And fuck, all those images _hurt _so damn much.

I couldn't help it.

I began to imagine how it would feel like if _I _had been the one kissing her that night.

I imagined how it would feel like to be the one she'd smile at every morning, how it would feel to have her kiss me every day. How she'd moan into my ear how much she loved me when I took her every single night, worshipping her body until she screamed my name. And then, I'd hold her in my arms and watch her until she fell asleep, and I'd be the first one to see her beautiful eyes flutter open when she woke up.

I was beginning to imagine how different my life would be if I allowed myself to have her.

To have Eren.

Sighing, I withdrew my gaze from her face and cast a quick glance at the chains hovering near the headboard of her bed. For a few seconds, I debated inwardly with myself on whether or not I should chain her up, but one look at the peaceful expression on her sleeping face made me decide against it.

Instead, I pulled the blankets back and I crawled into the bed beside her, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her small body close to mine so that her face was nestled against my chest.

From the windows, I could still make out the sounds of loud music and drunken singing from the remaining Survey Corps soldiers still outside the castle but none of that seemed to matter anymore. In fact, _nothing _else seemed to matter to me anymore except for the beautiful girl I held in my arms.

As I closed my eyes and cradled Eren against me, I leaned down, dropped a kiss onto her hair and whispered into her ear.

"I'm sorry for hurting you."

When she didn't stir (_**Honestly, I didn't really expect her to**_), I tightened my arms possessively around her again and I rested my head against the pillows, staring blankly up the ceiling of her room.

(_**One more night…Just let me hold her like this for one more night.**_)

My chest ached and I swallowed the dry lump that had formed in my throat as I gripped Eren's small body even tighter against me, terrified that she was going to disappear if I wasn't holding her.

(_**After tonight, I promise…I'll let her go.**_)

That last painful thought tore at me as I finally closed my eyes and began to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

**Notes: **FYI, the 57th expedition is coming up soon (most probably by Chapter 15) but just as a heads up for everyone, I will _not _be writing about it. I expect that most of what will happen there will be exactly the same as in canon anyway so there's really no need to write about it. Unless you guys have requests about what you specifically want to see different happen during the expedition, in which case I'm open to hearing your thoughts or suggestions. :D Also, for those of you who were expecting Mikasa's reaction to all this, I'll be writing her POV in the next chapter so stay tuned! :D

A big shout out of thanks to **Garnet Literature** for giving me the idea of everyone telling stories around the fire! Thanks so much, sweetie! :D Oh and thank you also to everyone for the wonderful reviews and support! Please do keep sending them in, I always love and appreciate hearing your thoughts! Till next time! XD


	14. Before the Expedition

**Laundry Duties**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the characters you see here.

**Pairings:** Levi/FemEren, Erwin/FemArmin, Jean/FemEren (One-Sided)

**Notes: **Heads up, everyone – there's a bit of one-sided Levi x Petra in this chapter so please be warned. Other than that, please enjoy the chapter! :D

* * *

**Chapter 14 – Before the Expedition**

****Mikasa****

There were _four _people on my hit list.

The first person was definitely _Reiner_. Hegave Eren that stupid dare to drink whiskey so he's the main reason she got so drunk. I decided I was going to cut out his tongue. The next person on my list was definitely _Connie, _since it was his stupid idea for all of us to play Truth or Dare in the first place.

I was thinking about slicing off one of his hands.

Or maybe I should take out one of his eyes, I wasn't sure yet.

Next one was _Jean. _

Even after Reiner's dare, Eren was doing perfectly fine with me and Armin but then, he just had to go and dance with her (_**Come to think of it, wasn't that another dare of Reiner's? Maybe I should place him on my list twice, that bastard.**_) and the minute he comes back with her, she's unconscious. I suspected that he was hiding something from me too, judging by the strange blush on his horse-face. (_**Jean was like Eren that way, he was never really good at keeping his emotions to himself, the idiot.**_)

The _last _one on my list was that cocky little (_**Did I say little? I meant tiny**_) bastard Levi.

Honestly, I don't know what his problem was and why he's so intent on making my sister's life so miserable in the Survey Corps (_**If I had known, I would have tried to convince Eren that we join the Garrison or the MP instead**_) but it's almost like, everywhere I turn, he's watching Eren's every move.

Like last night, he had absolutely _no _right to take Eren away from me. I had already planned out that I was going to take care of her but then, he orders me to leave her with him like that (_**Like I trusted his intentions with my sister, of course I didn't! Especially not when she was drunk, who knows what he'd do to her?!**_). If Armin hadn't dragged me away, I would have stayed with Eren and made sure that old pervert didn't lay a single finger on her. I'd be damned if I ever let him touch my sister.

The next morning, when I got up as early as possible to check up on Eren in her room (_**I passed by the courtyard on the way and I saw a lot of drunken soldiers who had fallen asleep all over the castle grounds. It was a disgraceful and pathetic sight.**_), I found that the door to her room was _locked._

I've lived with Eren for ten years, she had _never _locked the door on me before.

When I saw her sometime later during breakfast that same morning, I was relieved to see that she looked a lot better than she did last night (_**I'm never going to let her drink alcohol again**_) and she had regained some of the color in her cheeks. During breakfast, I did nothing but ask her if she was alright or if she remembered anything that happened but to my frustration, she evaded my questions.

After we parted to get started on our chores that morning (_**Out of the entire 104**__**th**__** class, only me, Eren, Christa, Sasha, Jean and Bertholdt woke up for breakfast that morning. Armin wasn't there, she had this important meeting to attend with Commander Erwin and the rest of the higher-ups regarding the upcoming 57**__**th**__** expedition**_), Eren continued to avoid me and I was really getting irritated.

I finished my chores in record time after that (_**I tend to move a lot faster when I'm angry**_) so before lunch, I decided to change my strategy in approaching this whole situation by taking the matter directly to the source – to Corporal Levi himself. I was going to confront that damn little midget directly.

The officers were still in a closed-door meeting when I stopped in front of the Briefing Room that afternoon and leaned on the pillar in front of the room's entrance. I waited for about two more hours before they adjourned. I didn't mind, I had plenty of time on my hands (_**Well that wasn't entirely true. I had chores that afternoon but that meant nothing to me. They could punish me for all I cared.**_)

As soon as the doors creaked open and the officers began to exit the room, I spotted my target easily (_**It wasn't hard to spot Levi anyway, he was always the shortest male soldier in any group**_) and without thinking, I shot up from the pillar and flew towards him with my blades held up high in the air.

"You _bastard!_"

There was a sharp 'clanging' sound that followed and it actually took me more than a few seconds before I realized that I had missed my intended target completely and that the loud 'clanging' I heard was actually the sound of my blades hitting the empty spot on the wall where Levi had once been.

My jaw dropped open in stunned disbelief.

Flicking my wide eyes up, I glared furiously at the sight of Levi standing a few steps to my right. He had a bland, frustratingly calm look on his face and he was staring back at me with a haughty smirk.

"You missed, brat."

His eyes were half-closed, as though he were utterly bored with what was happening around him, and his arms were crossed over his chest. He ignored the indignant gasps and angry exclamations from all the other officers and squad leaders circled around us and simply arched a thin eyebrow at me.

"Well?" He taunted, his gray eyes glinting with challenge.

"Aren't you supposed to be the top of your class, Ackerman? If that's the case, then why don't you go ahead and hit me?" He mocked loudly.

"Fine, I will then!" I hissed out at him, my eyes flashing as I drew my blades back out and went charging at him again, ignoring Commander Erwin and Lt. Mike's shouts.

Beside them, I thought I heard Armin's high, panicked voice screaming for me to stop and calm down but I paid her no such attention.

"I won't let you keep hurting Eren! I won't let you take advantage of her!" I shouted at him.

Like my first attempt, my attack ended up completely useless against him and there was another loud 'clanging' sound as Levi simply swerved to the side, causing my blades to smash against the stone walls. Undaunted, I continued to charge at him and he evaded all of my best moves perfectly, countering some of them with his lightning-fast reflexes. To my frustration, he looked so blatantly uninterested as he fought me (_**I can't believe he's faster than me! No one's faster than me!**_) and by the time I realized that I was probably getting nowhere with him, I had practically exhausted myself out already. When I drew my blade and aimed it at him again, he finally drew out his own blades, used them to block my attack and then he knocked _both _my blades flying out of my hands with a single slash of his.

"Mikasa!" I recognized Armin's shrill voice. "Yamete!"

My shoulders were heaving for breath as I landed back on the ground and hunched slightly, trying to catch my breath and glare at Levi at the same time. He gave me a cool, disinterested look back.

"Are you finished?" He deadpanned.

After I had gotten over my initial shock at being beaten, I tried to resume the fight with my fists and lunged at Levi again, trying to punch his face. Irritated, he let out a 'tssch' and twisted away from me, inadvertently causing my fist to slam against the door behind him, breaking right through the wood.

"Both of you, _enough! _Stand down!" A loud shout behind us suddenly made us both freeze.

At the sound of Commander Erwin's angry voice, I tensed and looked up, my eyes widening slightly at the sight of him and Major Hanji approaching us from the crowd and separating us from the other officers. Although Major Hanji looked more amused than annoyed, Commander Erwin looked positively _livid. _He stalked over to us, his eyes narrowed as he placed himself right between me and Levi.

"For the love of—! Look at this mess you made!" He snapped, glaring at me and gesturing to the broken door I had rammed my fist into.

"Would either of you care to explain what the hell is going on?!"

Levi opened his mouth to speak but I wasn't about to give him that chance.

"Erwin-Danchou!" I growled out, causing Commander Erwin to snap his attention back to me. "That man—" I pointed to Levi again, causing him to freeze up. "—took advantage of my sister when she was drunk last night! I would like you to take him in for sexual harassment!" I added angrily, ignoring the sharp gasps of shock and dismay that erupted from the other higher-ups gathered in a circle around us.

Looking up, I caught the expression on Armin's face again but to my confusion, she didn't look particularly happy with my declaration at all – in fact, she looked more _stunned _than anything else. (_**What was her problem? Doesn't she understand that I'm just doing this so I that can protect Eren?!**_)

For his part, Levi continued to look as blank and impassive as ever. While most of the older officers were glaring at him with outraged expressions on their faces, Commander Erwin just looked exasperated. Behind him, Lt. Mike was shaking his head. Major Hanji looked on the brink of laughter.

Their strange reactions to the whole thing really bothered me. (_**I just accused a high-ranking officer of taking advantage of his cadet and they just find it all funny?! What kind of military is this?!**_)

"Levi." Commander Erwin finally managed to say after he had recovered from my outburst. He ran a hand through his hair and turned to Levi with a sharp look.

"Is that true?" He asked the other man.

Completely unperturbed by all the attention that was focused solely on him, Levi just arched an eyebrow and slowly lifted his gaze back up so that he was staring lazily at someone over my shoulder. When I stiffened, Levi quirked one corner of his mouth into a smirk and turned back to address Erwin.

"Why don't you ask the brat yourself?" He pointed out.

It took me a few minutes before the full meaning of his words registered in my head but when it did, my eyes widened and I brought my eyes up instantly, staring at the petite figure across the hallway. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled up into a bun and there was a dust mask covering half of her face as she approached us, balancing an empty laundry basket in her arms, but I recognized her right away.

"Eren!" I blurted out.

"Mikasa?" Eren carefully set the laundry basket she held down onto the floor before she stood up again, removing the dust mask from her face and allowing me to see her confused expression. Then, when she realized that nearly all the squad leaders of the Survey Corps surrounded her, she reddened.

"Am I in trouble?"

* * *

****Eren****

When I woke up shivering in my bed that morning, Levi was already gone.

I could still smell his familiar tea scent lingering on the bedsheets though so I closed my eyes and I spent the next half hour still buried under the covers and snuggled comfortably against my pillows.

Truthfully, most of the events of Bonfire Night were still a bit of a hazy blur in my head (_**And it still kind of hurt to think about it**_) and though I _did _remember a few bits and flashes of what had happened, it was hard to piece everything together and make sense of it all. Frankly, all I really remembered was that Armin made us introduce ourselves to everyone, and then we played a game of Truth or Dare and I ended up taking five shots of liquor (_**And getting myself drunk, yes, let's not forget that part.**_) After that, my memory just gets all muddled up and I can't really remember much anymore.

Frowning, I stared up at the ceiling of my room in deep thought.

I remember Levi carrying me to my room sometime in the middle of the night (_**It must have been past midnight at that point, though I wasn't sure**_) and then placing me gently on my bed. Afterwards, I remember him holding my hair back for me while I threw up all over the sink in my bathroom. (_**Oh god, that must have been so disgusting for him. How can I ever show my face to him again?**_) And then, I remember him cleaning me up, kissing me on the forehead and then tucking me gently into the bed. Eventually, he snuggled under the covers beside me and held me as we fell asleep.

I don't think I've ever slept so well before in my whole entire life.

In the end, he must have woken up earlier than me that morning because he was gone now. I could still feel the warmth of his body against me and the way it felt to be trapped in his strong arms.

I shivered, pulling the blankets tighter around my small frame.

Nothing happened, I was sure of that and frankly, I trusted my superior officer enough to say that he would never take advantage of me that way (_**Though a small part of me wishes he had, I don't think I would have minded all that much. Crap, what the hell are you saying Eren?! You horny perv!**_)

My cheeks redddened and I pointedly ignored the sharp ache in my chest at the thought.

Something else was still really bothering me.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to my side again and I closed my eyes, trying hard to think back on everything that had happened that night and how I ended up drunk and in Levi's arms to begin with.

I remembered a warm pair of lips, followed by strong, masculine arms grasping me against a hard chest as we kissed and kissed and _kissed _until I could no longer breathe and I finally passed out.

That was when it hit me.

(_**Oh my god, I kissed Jean!**_)

My eyes widened in stunned realization and I stared up at the ceiling again in horror.

I was then bombarded with the mental image of myself kissing Jean Kirschstein, the boy I considered my rival for the past 3 years, smack in the middle of the dance floor where everyone (_**And I mean everyone! Did Levi see us?! Did Mikasa see us?! Oh crap, did she make a scene?!**_) could see us.

That was just so fucking _messed up._

(_**Why did I kiss him?! I don't feel that way about him – do I?! Holy titan's guts, he's Jean! He's that loud, foul-tempered jerk who did nothing but whine at me when we were at the academy! How could I like him?!**_) I was beginning to hyperventilate as I tried to address all of the questions in my head.

By the time I had managed to pull my wide-eyed gaze back long enough to snap back to reality, it was almost 6AM and, like it or not, it was time for me to wake up and get started on all my chores.

Levi wasn't in his room when I went to fetch his laundry that morning (_**Thank Maria for that, I don't know what I would have said if I had to face him already**_) so I was able to get through most of my morning chores without much of a fuss. Unfortunately, just as I was hanging his clothes to dry outside, the squad assigned laundry duties this week began to make their way out of the castle. (_**Of course, wouldn't you know it, the first person I would bump into that morning was Jean Kirschstein himself.**_)

His eyes widened the minute he saw me and he stiffened, the both of us staring awkwardly at each other with laundry baskets balanced in our arms. Somehow, I became vaguely aware of the rising flush in my cheeks but I ignored it and cleared my throat, hastily averting my eyes away from his gaze.

"Yeager." He greeted me.

The top of his ears were pink and he was glaring very intently at his shoes.

I fought the urge to cringe at the nervous embarrassment I heard in my own voice.

"Kirschstein." Despite the awkwardness I felt and the fact that my face was probably as red as a tomato, I forced myself to look at him.

"Look, about last night. We need to talk about what happened—"

Jean stiffened again and he cut me off in the middle of my sentence.

"Excuse me."

He didn't look up so I couldn't exactly see the expression on his face as he said this but before I could say anything else to stop him, he had already whirled around and stormed as fast as he could back towards the castle. Behind me, I thought I heard Jean's squad members calling after him and asking where he was going. When he didn't turn around, I glared at his retreating back with narrowed eyes.

So apparently, he was avoiding me now.

If there was one thing I really hated, it was when people _ran away _from confrontation and yet, that was exactly what Jean was trying to do (_**What the fuck? Didn't he learn anything about me back at the Academy?!**_**)**. I swear, when I get my hands on him, I'm going to wrap my fingers around his neck and punch the living daylights out of him until he told me the truth about what really happened last night.

It wasn't like I knew everything that was going on, _he _was the sober one – he should be the one explaining to me the consequences of what we had done and what we were supposed to do next. (_**I mean, I did kiss him right? What the hell, did he kiss back?! Does he like me that way? Do I like him that way?!**_) Obviously, neither one of us would be able to resolve that anytime soon unless Jean stops avoiding my damn eyes in the food hall or he stops storming out of the room at the mere sight of me.

Fortunately enough, I learned from Mikasa during breakfast that all of the higher-ups would be in an important pre-expedition meeting for most of the afternoon (_**That was probably why Levi wasn't in his office this morning. Shit, I can't believe I forgot the expedition was coming up. I should start training again.**_) so that meant I only had to deal with _one _headache (_**Aka, Jean**_) for the rest of that day.

I thought _wrong._

* * *

"I won't let you keep hurting Eren! I won't let you take advantage of her!"

That afternoon, as I was making my way back to my room, I happened to pass by a loud commotion that was going on in the middle of the hallways (_**Seriously, I had the worst luck when it came to these things!**_). When I saw that they were _all _the officers of the Survey Corps, I tried to sneak past them without being seen. Unfortunately, that was when my beloved sister had shouted my name.

"Eren!"

Looking up, my eyes bugged out of their sockets and I gaped in horror the scene in front of me. A few meters away, Mikasa and Levi were facing each other, their fists raised and both with identical scowls on their faces. To my confusion, Mikasa's fist was buried in a rather nasty looking hole on the door behind Levi and she looked positively enraged as she drew it back and turned to glare at Commander Erwin and the rest of the officers who were gathered around them. Most of the squad leaders looked horrified at the scene (_**Holy shit, Mikasa! What the hell do you think you're doing?!**_). When I shifted my gaze around, I saw that Armin was looking at me with an imploring look on her face.

"Why don't you ask the brat yourself?" The familiar sound of Levi's annoyed, bored voice drew my attention and I flicked my eyes up again, meeting Levi and Mikasa's stares at me from across the hall.

"Mikasa?"

I set the empty laundry basket I held back down onto the floor and stood up, removing the dust mask from my face. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I glanced uncertainly around the group of squad leaders watching me before I slowly averted my gaze and turned to Major Hanji with a sheepish smile.

"Am I in trouble?" I asked.

"Quite the contrary, Eren!" She cackled at my reaction, practically skipping over to me and slinging an arm around my shoulders. "I think you're my new favorite recruit!" She added with a laugh.

"H—huh?" I blinked and turned to gape at Levi and Commander Erwin. "Sirs?"

"Eren." Commander Erwin massaged his temples before shooting me a pointed look, a bemused smirk on his face. "I hope you'll forgive me for being direct with you about this. Seeing as—" He paused to flick his gaze back to Mikasa before turning back to me. ""—your sister here insists that Levi took advantage of you last night, would you care to clarify with me and the rest of the group if that is true?"

"H—huh?!" At his words, my eyes grew to the size of saucers and I felt all of my blood rush to my face.

My gaze flew to Levi again and I was horrified when I saw that he was just staring blankly at me.

"N—no, Erwin-Danchou! That's not true at all, he—Levi-Heichou would never—I can't—" In my mind, I knew what I wanted to say but somehow, the words ended up tangled and all over the place when they came out. "Levi-Heichou would never do such a thing! He wouldn't take advantage of me!"

My eyes narrowed and I turned to Mikasa again, glaring at her and letting her know through my expression _exactly _what I thought about all this (_**What the fuck?! Mikasa, I can't believe you'd do this!**_)

"Yeager." Lt. Mike was the one who spoke this time as he stepped forward and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder, causing me to wince. "Can you repeat that statement for everyone to hear? Just so we're clear." He arched an eyebrow and turned to face Levi, giving the other man an amused smirk.

"H—Hai, Sir!" I nodded hastily and, ignoring Mikasa's furious glares at me, I turned to address Commander Erwin and Lt. Mike again. "Levi-Heichou didn't take advantage of me. I was drunk, and he was kind enough to bring me back to my room. That's it, nothing happened." I explained (_**Well, I knew that wasn't entirely true but I don't think any of them really needed to know that Levi carried me to the bathroom and helped me to take a shower**_).

With that, I turned to Levi again and I was mildly surprised when I saw that the tension in his shoulders had vanished.

He was staring very intently at me.

I shifted under his scrutiny and offered him an apologetic grimace, bowing my head.

"Gomen-nasai, Heichou. I didn't mean for this understanding to happen."

Instead of answering, Levi just nodded once before he turned to stare blankly at Mikasa.

"Was there anything else you wanted?" He asked blandly.

Mikasa's expression was equally blank as she re-sheathed her blades and whipped around, giving me a strange look. She didn't respond to Levi's question, though she didn't say anything else either but thankfully, Levi didn't press for an answer. After he, Commander Erwin and the rest of the other officers finally began to disperse and head back to their rooms, Armin slowly turned to glance at me again. She walked toward us, the expression on her face unnervingly perceptive as she met my eyes.

She asked me the same question I saw reflected in Mikasa's angry expression.

"Do you have feelings for Corporal Levi, Eren?"

Pulling my gaze away from them, I couldn't bring myself to answer.

* * *

****Levi** **

I _really _wasn't looking forward to what Erwin was planning for this expedition.

I'd avoid the whole thing if I could but unfortunately, I was one of the few officers he chose to reveal what his real objective was. Honestly, I wanted no part of it but seeing as I really didn't have a choice in that matter (_**And I really did not want my face in the fucking mud again. Then again, I doubt Mike could do that to me a second time anyway**_) so I just agreed to go along with what Erwin wanted.

During our meeting, Erwin didn't discuss what his real plans were to the other squad leaders. Meanwhile, on my end, I agreed with the other officers that the Special Operations Squad would be solely responsible for ensuring Eren's safety outside the walls (_**I would have done that anyway, even without Erwin telling me to**_) and that our first objective was to get Eren to the Forest of Giant Trees.

I wasn't worried; I knew my squad would be able to handle that easily.

Sometime in the middle of our discussions, Erwin mentioned that he'd assigned the task of teaching the new recruits the Long Distance Enemy Scouting Formation to Armin Arlert, his appointed Tactical Advisor. Quite bluntly, I was with Mike on this one. I really didn't agree with Erwin's decision to appoint such a young officer (_**Arlert is fucking sixteen years old and already, Erwin's about to promote her to his Advisor? Just what the hell does she know about war and sending soldiers to their deaths?**_)

And as if that fucking meeting wasn't enough to grate on my nerves, Mikasa Ackerman (_**That brat's last name still brought up a lot of memories in my head that I really didn't want to remember anymore**_)decides to accost me in the middle of the hall and accuse me of taking advantage of her sister.

(_**Seriously. What. The. Fuck.**_)

At my age and with all the dirty shit I'd done in my life, I have been accused of a _lot _of things – stealing, murder, coercion, smuggling – you name it. But not _once _did I ever expect that I would ever be accused of doing such a thing as taking advantage of an innocent (_**And very drunk**_) sixteen-year-old girl.

I wasn't _nearly _that sick or demented in the head.

Fortunately, after our fight (_**Well, if you could call that pathetic excuse of a tussle a fight. I didn't even break a sweat.**_), Eren showed up and she somehow managed to clear things up with Erwin.

To be honest, I was also a bit surprised about her reaction to that whole thing. After everything that's happened between us, I'd never have expected her to defend me in front of the other officers like that. And as much as I didn't want to admit it, her unwavering loyalty to me really made my heart melt.

Now, I knew for a fact that when Eren regained her consciousness and woke up that morning, she was probably looking for me and wondering why the hell I left (_**And I couldn't blame her really. Now, she probably sees me as hot one minute and cold the next. Even I couldn't predict my own actions when it came to her**_) but it was self-preservation more than anything else. I just couldn't allow myself to be there with her when she woke up and stared at me with those big, beautiful eyes of hers.

Otherwise, I knew I would have done something we'd both regret.

I saw her so much more now than just a silly little girl with a crush on her Corporal. In fact, I knew now that the relationship I had with her had grown _way _over the bounds of what was acceptable between a squad leader and cadet (_**Fucking hell, what Squad Leader would allow his cadet to sleep in his room, in his clothes, or even in his bed?!**_) At this point, I think I was pretty much just fooling myself.

I wanted her.

I really, _really _wanted her.

"Levi-Heichou, Sir."

Cursing under my breath, I was broken out of my thoughts just as I was making my way outside the castle and I looked up at the sound of a male voice addressing me. When I saw Jean Kirschstein staring back at me a few meters away, my eyes narrowed and I felt my features forming into a frown.

I fought the urge to say something nasty as I acknowledged him with a curt nod before moving to walk past him. His stance was stiff and rigid, as though he was uncomfortable with my presence (_**I couldn't really blame him, I do have a bit of a habit of intimidating other people. Heh, just look at him now. He may be taller than me but he's shaking. He looks ready to shit his pants.**_) I just scoffed at him.

"Kirchstein."

He answered me with a formal salute before rushing past me, leaving me glaring blankly after his retreating back in silence. It wasn't that I hated the brat, that'd be unfair of me, and although a part of me _really _wanted to resent him for kissing Eren the previous night, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. (_**If Eren decides that she wants to be with him, then by all means. I shouldn't really care about that.**_)

Sighing, I pushed past the doors that led to the stables. I was just about to head over to my horse when I looked up again and froze at the sight of Petra standing nearby. It took me a few minutes before I remembered that the reason she was actually in there was because I had assigned her to clean out the stables that week. When she looked up and saw me, her features easily formed into a smile.

"Heichou." She greeted warmly as she turned to face me fully, wiping the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. "Gomen-nasai, I didn't see you there. Did you just come from your meeting?"

"Hai." I nodded quietly before walking past her to where my horse stood inside its stall. Without waiting for her to say anything, I continued.

"Is there anything important to report while I was gone?"

"None, Heichou. We just completed our last 3DMG training session for the expedition tomorrow, so we're just finishing up with our chores now. Though I think Eld has a few additional reports for you, he left them in your office so you could go over them." She added and I forced myself to nod absently at her words, my thoughts beginning to stray back to my meeting this morning with Erwin.

Fortunately, Petra seemed to pick up on my mood easily (_**She had always been the most perceptive one in my squad. It was one of her strengths as a soldier.**_) and she fell silent, waiting for me to speak. When I _did _speak again, I failed to filter the anger and harshness from seeping into my voice.

"Petra." I addressed her, causing her to stiffen and turn to me in rapt attention.

"Sir?"

"That expedition I told you five about a few weeks ago." I began, finally lifting my half-narrowed gaze up so that I met her wide eyes. "It's going to be dangerous. A lot of good soldiers are going to die."

"Wakarimashita, Heichou." Petra nodded, her fingers tightening around the rag she held in her hands.

"I know that, I was expecting something like that actually. And don't worry, we all understand."

"I want you to tell the others. You are all to stay close to me always and to follow every single damn order I give you." The more I thought about the expedition, the more I felt my nails digging painfully into my palm. "Tell the others that they should _not_, under any circumstances, leave my side. Do you understand, Petra?"

I levelled my harsh gaze on her and Petra tensed but nodded carefully before bowing her head.

"Hai."

I didn't answer and looked away, raising a hand and using it to stroke my horse's dark mane of hair in deep thought. After another long moment of awkward silence, I spoke up again in quiet voice.

"Take care of that little titan brat, will you?" My jaw clenched at my words and I looked away sharply, gritting my teeth.

"Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. Keep her safe." I added softly.

"I don't understand. Won't _you _be watching her as well, Heichou?" Petra looked confused and she gave me a slight frown. "I think the best person to protect Eren tomorrow would still be you, right?"

"Eren doesn't really like me right now." I couldn't help the bitterness in my voice and with a sigh, I shook my head. "She likes _you, _Petra, so I think it'd be better for you to look out for her instead."

If anything, my words only caused the frown on Petra's face to deepen.

"Why would she not like you?"

When I flinched at her question, her eyes narrowed and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Levi, _what _did you do?" She demanded.

"I didn't do anything!" I growled back at her, though she only rolled her eyes at the defensive tone in my voice (_**What the fuck is with that look? Why is she automatically assuming I did something wrong?!**_). "Look, the brat confessed to me, okay? And I didn't know how to respond. So I told her off—"

"Wait a minute, Heichou. Just, _wait. _Let me see if I heard you right." Petra's eyes widened and she raised a hand up, waving it a few times to stop me in the middle of my sentence. When I did, her lips began to tug upwards into a smile and she studied my expression very carefully. "Eren _confessed _to you? Just what exactly did she say and what do you mean when you said you just 'told her off'?" She asked.

"Are we _really _getting into this right now?" I growled at her again, more than irritated that my customary glare didn't seem to be working on her at the moment.

"Petra, I don't have time for—"

"Then _make _time, Sir!" She blurted out, glaring at me with a resolute look in her eyes. At her reaction, I froze up and stared back blankly at her, my eyes widening slightly at her obvious persistence.

"Now tell me, what exactly did Eren say?"

I answered in a calm voice. "She told me she loved me."

"And?!" Petra pressed as she leaned forward, her wide eyes glowing with happiness.

I blinked and leaned back uncomfortably, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I told her she didn't." I deadpanned. "That she was just a _kid._"

At that, the glow in Petra's eyes dimmed and she gaped at me, her jaw hanging open.

"What?" She blinked a couple of times, as though she couldn't believe what she heard.

"Levi, how could you say something as cruel as that to her?" She demanded.

"Petra, I really don't have time for this shit!" I snapped, losing my patience with the conversation altogether as I pulled back and made to walk away. Petra stopped me in the middle of my stride, however, by stepping in front of me, blocking my path to the door. I glared at her in annoyance.

"Get the fuck out of my way!"

"Why did you say that?" She asked again, refusing to budge. "What else did you say?"

"Because it's the goddamn truth!" I finally exploded as I drew back and glared at her with blazing gray eyes. "Eren is just _sixteen-_years-old! She doesn't have any idea what the hell she's talking about!" I growled, gritting my teeth and clenching my hands into angry fists. "She has some kind of hero-worship crush on me, sure, but love?! Does she even understand what that means?!" I let out a sharp exhale of breath and ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "Christ, she's way too young and carefree right now, she has her whole life ahead of her! If I told her the goddamn truth and that I felt the same way about her, then is she prepared to fucking tie herself down to some angry old man like me?!"

"So that's it. You're scared." Petra's smile was surprisingly soft and understanding as she stared at me, her eyes lighting up with realization.

"You feel the same way about her, but you're scared because you think it's just hero worship on her end, and that when she grows out of it, she'll leave you."

Tensing at her words, I couldn't think of anything to say in response so I remained silent.

"You have nothing to be afraid of, you know."

At the strange, knowing tone in her voice, I lifted my eyes up again and stared at her. My throat felt way too dry to speak, but fortunately, she understood what I wanted to ask when she saw my eyes.

"That sweet girl _loves _you. It's obvious to everyone else except for _you, _really." Petra gave me a slightly exasperated smile. "It's in the small things she does. You should pay attention sometimes, Levi."

When I remained silent, Petra rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the stall behind her. "Really, Levi. Think about it. If all she felt for you was just some silly crush, then why does she always make sure that all your clothes are clean and perfectly pressed every day?" I flicked my gaze up at that to argue with her (_**That Eren probably did that because I ordered her to, but then again, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that no other soldier ever really managed to clean my clothes as perfectly as Eren always did**_)but Petra continued. "If it were just a silly crush, would she always make sure to leave a fresh pot of tea by your bed every morning after she picked up your laundry, simply because she knew you liked waking up to the smell of freshly brewed black tea?"

In spite of myself, I felt my eyes beginning to soften with realization at the truth I found in her words.

"Trust me_._" Petra chuckled as she finally straightened from leaning against the stall and began walking towards me.

"That's no hero-worship driven crush. That young, beautiful girl really _loves _you."

When I stared intently at her, trying to process her words in my head, she sighed and continued.

"Our expedition is tomorrow, Heichou." Petra's voice softened and the expression on her face became so serious that I couldn't help frowning at her. "Our lives are already short enough, and any day could be our last so we only really get _once _chance at all this. _You _were the one who once told me that."

"Who knows?" She didn't wait for me to respond before she reached out and placed her hand gently on my shoulder. "If you don't tell her how you feel _now, _you might never get the chance again."

In spite of everything she had just said, I still chose to remain completely silent and stared at the ground by my feet. It wasn't that I had nothing to say (_**Though I suppose that was partially the case, I had no idea how to respond to Petra's words**_). It was mostly because I was irritated that she was right.

"Heichou?" Petra's voice brought me back from my thoughts again.

"On a slightly different note, I'm actually glad you're here. I wanted to tell you something really important." She began uncertainly.

More out of instinct than anything else, I stiffened in anticipation at her words. When she saw my reaction, Petra's eyes widened and she ended up laughing at me and swatting me lightly on the arm.

"I'm not going to confess to you again, you arrogant ass! I swear, you're the most bigheaded—" She could barely get her words out from all her laughter and I couldn't help scoffing and giving her a wry smile. When she rolled her eyes at my blank reaction, I rewarded her with a halfhearted smirk.

"Gomen." I intoned, my expression turning impassive once more. "Force of habit. Comes with being Humanity's Strongest."

"Right." Petra shook her head and chuckled again. When she froze, however, and I noticed the strange blush on her face and the way she began fidgeting uncomfortably, I arched an eyebrow at her.

"Uhm…Well. Actually, Heichou. I wanted you to be the first to know before anyone."

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, taking a steadying breath before she opened her eyes again and began to speak.

"Auruo and I are together."

It took me a few seconds before the full meaning of her words sank in (_**When did this happen and why didn't I notice anything?!**_). Once it did, my eyes widened and I felt a smile tugging on my lips.

"Oh?" I arched an eyebrow at her again, chuckling at her red face. "What brought this on?"

"O—oh, well I just—" Petra stammered, her face flushing even darker at my question. "—we were together during most of Bonfire Night, actually . A—and I guess we had a lot to drink so…Well… Auruo. He…_confessed _his feelings for me." She bit her lip and looked up, shrinking back under my teasing grin. "And well, I guess that was when I realized that – sometime along the way – I grew to love him too. Actually, come to think about it, if he hadn't mustered up the courage to confess to me last night, I don't think I ever would have realized that I loved him back. So I guess I'm really glad he did."

When my only reaction was to chuckle, Petra met my eyes and she gave me a gentle smile.

"I guess I understand now why you never reciprocated my feelings for you."

I didn't say anything but she seemed to have anticipated my reaction because it didn't faze her at all and she continued. ""I think _I _was the one who misunderstood my hero worship for you, wasn't I?"

Hearing her honest admission, I nodded slowly and rewarded her with a small smile.

She cringed at that, blushing slightly and giving me a sheepish grin. "I couldn't even tell the difference between a crush and what I felt for Auruo. I'm so sorry."

I shook my head at her apology and reached out, chucking her affectionately on the chin.

"Forget it." I assured her. "What's done is done."

She smiled at that and went on, clasping her hands behind her back. "It's so different with Auruo though. The way I feel for him now is so different. _Exhilarating._" When she looked up and met my gaze with hers again, I saw the definite way her light eyes were bright with such open and genuine happiness.

"I love him. I really do."

I smiled at her again, knowing full well how much Auruo felt the exact same way about her.

"Actually, I also want you to be the first to know something else." She hesitated before glancing at me again, giving me a shy smile.

"We're getting married as soon as we get back from our expedition."

When she stared up expectantly at me, I reached out and I took her hand in mine, giving the limb a firm but gentle squeeze.

"I'm really happy for the both of you." I told her as I pulled my hand away, meeting her questioning look. "Though I do pity Auruo when we get back and he has to ask your father for permission to marry you." I added with a smirk.

"Oh believe me, so do I." Petra laughed and rolled her eyes as she pulled away and began to walk back towards the doors of the stables. She paused just as she was reaching for the doorknob, however, and turned around, sighing in exasperation when she caught me staring off blankly into empty space again.

Unfortunately for me, she managed to read the thoughts right off my face.

"Will you promise me something, Heichou?" She asked as she began walking back across the room towards me.

"You can consider it your early wedding present for me, if you wish. I just want to make sure you do it."

"And what's that?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

Before I could realize what she was intending to do, Petra had already leaned in and she pulled me into a tight, warm hug. When I tensed up and tried to pull away from her, she turned her head to the side, gave me one last kiss on the cheek and leaned in to whisper something in my ear.

"When we get back from the expedition, _talk _to Eren." She said softly. "Pull her close and hold her in your arms. Much closer than this. Tell her that you love her and that you'll never, _ever_, let her go."

With that, Petra finally pulled away from me and met my wide eyes with hers.

"I promise you that everything else will just fall into place."

* * *

****Eren****

I swear, I did _not _mean to do it.

It was that idiot's Jean's fault, he was the one who brought about this stupid fight in the first place. I never would have attacked him and tackled him outside the castle that evening if he hadn't spent the entire day avoiding me like I had some kind of condition or something (_**And being able to transform into a titan didn't count at all. I was thinking more along the lines of a contagious disease!**_)

Of course, given that Jean was with his squadmates at the time and that some of the higher-ups outside (_**Let's see, there was Major Hanji, Lt. Nanaba and Lt. Mike**_) saw the way I tackled Jean in the middle of his training and how we ended up sparring in the middle of the field, it probably shouldn't have come as a surprise that Lt. Mike would make both me _and _Jean run fifty laps around the castle.

By the time we were both finished and Lt. Mike had dismissed us to go back to the rest of our duties for the night, my entire body was aching all over and I was ready to collapse from exhaustion. Jean certainly didn't look any better than I did (_**It was all his fault anyway, that stupid horse-face.**_) but unfortunately, before I could get the chance to confront him again, he had already stormed off back towards his room and I was stuck with having to walk back all the way to the castle to take a shower.

"Horse-faced jerk. Why the hell is he avoiding me anyway? I just want to talk about what happened." I grumbled irritably under my breath as I trudged through the hallways towards my room.

I was just considering to myself the risks of trying to confront Jean again later in the food hall before dinner when the sound of a familiar pair of voices suddenly caught my attention from nearby. Curious, I listened intently to the sound and began to follow it all the way until I reached the stables.

Peering inside, the sight that greeted me was one that caused my chest to tighten with pain.

There, beside one of the stalls, were none other than Levi and Petra, both of which were locked in such a tight embrace that they never even noticed my presence and I was able to slip back out of the room and close the door quietly behind me. (_**Oh god, they're in the middle of an intimate moment and I almost interrupted them again. When will I ever learn?**_) I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and leaned back against the doors, closing my eyes when they began to blur with unshed tears.

(_**I get it now. Levi and Petra. They're together.**_)

Suddenly, it all made sense to me now why Levi never really returned my feelings or why he'll probably never see me as anything else other than a stupid little kid who couldn't take care of herself.

He was in love with Petra.

And she was in love with him.

I bit my lip and straightened from the doors, my entire body trembling as I forced myself to begin walking away. I was already reaching for the doorknob to my room, however, when the full impact of the scene I had witnessed seemed to hit me again. I wanted to be happy for them, I really did (_**Petra is a kind and a more mature woman than me. She'll be good for him and she'll be able to take care of him**_) And yet, even as I thought all this, I still couldn't shake that painful and burning feeling inside my chest.

The feeling that something inside me had just _died._

* * *

**Notes: **Oh the drama and all these damn feels, it's almost too painful to read isn't it? Hahaha. The 57th expedition is coming up in the next chapter. Well actually, like I said, I won't be writing about it so what you'll all see in the next chapter is what happens to everyone _after _the expedition. So expect some ErwinxArmin, a little bit of JeanxEren and a _lot _of LevixEren in the remaining chapters! :D

FYI, I think this story is possibly near its end. Maybe about 2 or 3 more chapters to go. I _am _considering writing a sequel, but seeing as I haven't fully fleshed out a plot yet, I'm still undecided. Perhaps some of you have any ideas? :D

As always, your reviews and comments are always welcome and very much appreciated so please don't hesitate to send them in! See you next update! :D


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